ENGL Fireball Vs. Peavey 5150

Emperoff · 06-01-2007, 10:48 AM

Well, soon I'll have 1000€ to burn in a new amp, so I'm heavily thinking about those two. Since I've heard great things about both amps (but I don't think I can try the Fireball over here), I'd like to know what do you have to say about them, and which one would suit my needs better.

I play mostly agressive metal, in the lines of Unearth, Nevermore, Arch Enemy, etc.

PS: And BTW, do the Metal Shop models from PODxt sound any similar to them?

daemon barbeque · 06-01-2007, 11:53 AM

Well the Fireball is one of the most brutal Amps ever!With 60 watts and 1,5 channels (yeah 2 channels but universal gain and eq).Hard to get any bad tone ,and the cleans are nice.You can't do many things with the 5150 what you can do with the Fireball.A well defined ,tight and deep bass response.Nice highs and well defined midds.The Saturation is not like the 5150.It#s more like snarl/growl than fizz!
The closest tone fo my ears on the MetalShop models is the AngelPball ,since Powerball and Fireball are really similar in Voicing.But fireball sounds better.

Hellraizer · 06-01-2007, 05:07 PM

I have a Powerball which is basically the same thing as the Fireball. It is a very wicked amp. I used to have a 5150 as well. My buddy has a 6505. It also sounds good, but I still say go with a Fireball or Powerball, more versatile. Good clean tone too. The 5150's cleans aren't as good at high volumes IMO. 5150's are very noisy too.

Crucified · 06-01-2007, 06:11 PM

I prefer the 5150 to a powerball/fireball. powerballs are good though, they are a bit more versitile that 5150s and have a built in gate on some of them but i just like the tone of a 5150 more. either way you're going to have a rad sounding amp in this case.

Jongpil Yun · 06-01-2007, 06:41 PM

Fireball.

Lankles · 06-01-2007, 10:19 PM

EASILY the Fireball.

Ror3h · 06-02-2007, 05:42 AM

ENGL all the way, although I'm a little biased

Gona be recording some stuff with it this week so I'll post the clips of it when I'm done if you want?

budda · 06-02-2007, 07:44 AM

try very hard to try both of them out - ya gotta see how it handles YOUR guitar, the pros give an indication of what an amp can do, but you wont really know until you sit down with it and put it on 8.

i have never played a cranked 5150, or heard a fireball - so im gonna say 5150 for now, because i've heard them live and on recordings.

Jeff · 06-02-2007, 08:30 AM

Fireball. Never played one, but have dug every clip I've heard, and I hate the 5150.

Tymon · 06-02-2007, 10:02 AM

Hmm I prefer 5150 all the way!

Ror3h · 06-02-2007, 10:05 AM

SoundClick song info: Symbolic Symbiosis by Ror3h - Song info page with free MP3 music downloads
Here just recorded that today. All the rythm parts are my Fireball.

Hawksmoor · 06-02-2007, 11:00 AM

6505. I'm getting one to complement my rig

DSS3 · 06-02-2007, 11:41 AM

Two totally different amps.

I love my 5150 for what I do, but I also plan on picking up a Fireball.

noodles · 06-02-2007, 12:58 PM

I prefer the 5150. There is something about the midrange of Engls that I don't really like. It seems a bit artificial or processed sounding. The 5150 just seems more organic, with more of aggressive growl to the midrange.

Either way, for Unearth and Nevermore, a 5150 or Recto is the amp to have. They both lend that looser, thicker chunk to the sound, almost as if the note is exploding when you hit it. Nevermore sounded their best when they were playing Rectos, and this is why. Kranks also have a more processed sound--not that I'm comparing them to Engl, because Engl doesn't have a tone that sucks--which is why live the band just doesn't sound quite right to me.

The best advice for you was given earlier in the thread: try out both amps extensively before you make your purchase. No one amp is for everyone's playing style. Try to buy from a store with 30 day return policy, because this will let you play it with your band, which is where so many amps really bite the dust. We've all owned the amp that sounds brutal as hell in the bedroom, only to fall apart in the full mix of the band. I think 5150s and Rectos are the opposite, in that they really don't sound good until you get the full band going.

zimbloth · 06-02-2007, 01:17 PM

I love both of these amps, but in the end, the 5150 has a warmer, more harmonically rich and brutal tone than the Fireball. The FB is incredible in its tight, clear response, but it I realized once I got my VHT (the complete opposite of an ENGL other than its clarity) what I had been missing. The Fireball (and to a much greater extent, the Powerball) just have such a 2 dimensional sound compared to a VHT, or even a 5150/Mesa/other amps that just have it.

Shaman · 06-02-2007, 01:59 PM

I would go with the 6505/5150 as well. It is a very versatile amp when it comes to distorted tones. You just have to know how to dial it.

If you are getting a fizzy tone, back down the gain, treble or presence...

The 5150/6505 is not as tight as the Fireball, but it still is a tight amp. And it sounds absolutely huge whit good settings.

They both are great amps, but I prefer the Peavey.

Axel · 06-02-2007, 02:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by noodles

I prefer the 5150. There is something about the midrange of Engls that I don't really like. It seems a bit artificial or processed sounding. The 5150 just seems more organic, with more of aggressive growl to the midrange.

Agreed, although from my personal experience I can only attest this opinion with the Invader and Special Edition which is why I was reluctant to comment. I also agree that the recto is a nice mean amp.

JJ Rodriguez · 06-02-2007, 02:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ror3h

SoundClick song info: Symbolic Symbiosis by Ror3h - Song info page with free MP3 music downloads
Here just recorded that today. All the rythm parts are my Fireball.

I like the tone in that clip. Where's your gain knob sitting for that clip?

Dropped2C · 06-02-2007, 03:41 PM

5150 with a bias mod, no fizz or no bullshit shrill complaints that you always hear about a 5150. it really comes down to opinion, I stuck my old 3 channel channel recto in a band context with a powerball and i preferred the mesa more, IMO the mesa stomped it the mesa took over alot of the frequency. now alone in your room and scooped yeah the powerball sounded great but in a bad setting i hated it.

neither amps you mentioned above are bad, i prefer the 5150 with the bias mod and if you want the clarity mod.

Karl Hungus · 06-02-2007, 04:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by zimbloth

I love both of these amps, but in the end, the 5150 has a warmer, more harmonically rich and brutal tone than the Fireball. The FB is incredible in its tight, clear response, but it I realized once I got my VHT (the complete opposite of an ENGL other than its clarity) what I had been missing. The Fireball (and to a much greater extent, the Powerball) just have such a 2 dimensional sound compared to a VHT, or even a 5150/Mesa/other amps that just have it.

I'd disagree there. I haven't tried the VHT, but when deciding on an amp, I had played both a 5150 and Recto, and found that the ENGL Fireball came out on top. The tightness and clarity were definetly a factor, but I really think that the Fireball was much richer in harmonic response.

However... I would mirror the advice to TRY both amps, if at all possible.

Emperoff · 06-02-2007, 06:05 PM

Thanks guys

I forgot to mention that I play with a Hellraiser, so the pickups should make a big difference too. I tried the 5150, my bandmate has one, but he said that it lacks 2 tunes or something like that, and sounded a little fizzy. I didn't tried it with drums and fully cranked, anyway.

I don't think I'll buy a recto. It's out of my range.

Anyway, the 5150 caught my attention at first, because all my favourite sounds from metal bands were recorded with those amps, but it's studio, so you never know... And I don't know bands using the ENGLs right now (there would be useless input anyway

).

One think that screws me up it's thatas soon as I buy the amp, I have to mod it to turn it into something decent. And that means more money to spend, something that I don't have. The lack of real cleans on the 5150 it's a drawback too

Karl Hungus · 06-02-2007, 08:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Emperoff

One think that screws me up it's thatas soon as I buy the amp, I have to mod it to turn it into something decent. And that means more money to spend, something that I don't have. The lack of real cleans on the 5150 it's a drawback too

Well if you want good cleans aswell, then the Fireball is probably the best to get, as the ENGL cleans are really shockingly good.

YouTube - Chris Broderick (Jag Panzer/Nevermore) - jazz-slap demo

That should give you an idea.

I play a lot of Opeth, and incorporate a lot of cleans into my sound, so that was another factor for me.

DSS3 · 06-02-2007, 11:11 PM

Yeah - cleans are a non-issue for me, so the 5150 was a total no-brainer.

Hawksmoor · 06-03-2007, 05:37 AM

Hmmm, I just realized that quite a few bands I like switched from Peavey 5150/6505 to Krank...

zimbloth · 06-03-2007, 06:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hawksmoor

Hmmm, I just realized that quite a few bands I like switched from Peavey 5150/6505 to Krank...

Ehh... or so you think. Every show I goto with bands who "switched to Krank", most have other amps behind their cabs. I know a few actually do play them, but for the most part theyre studio tools.

06-01-2007, 10:48 AM	#1
Emperoff Hasta la vista, Baby Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Spain Posts: 2,164 Thanked: 13	ENGL Fireball Vs. Peavey 5150 Well, soon I'll have 1000€ to burn in a new amp, so I'm heavily thinking about those two. Since I've heard great things about both amps (but I don't think I can try the Fireball over here), I'd like to know what do you have to say about them, and which one would suit my needs better. I play mostly agressive metal, in the lines of Unearth, Nevermore, Arch Enemy, etc. PS: And BTW, do the Metal Shop models from PODxt sound any similar to them?

06-01-2007, 06:41 PM	#5
Jongpil Yun Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Seattle, WA Posts: 2,339 Thanked: 27	Fireball. __________________ Whether it's laughable or irrational, this is the path that ALL great men walk! If there's a wall in our way, we'll destroy it! If there's no road, we'll pave it with our own hands! The magma in our hearts is blazing like flames! Who the hell do you think we are?

06-01-2007, 10:19 PM	#6
Lankles Fuelled by Chicken alone. Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Brisbane, Australia Posts: 480 Thanked: 3	EASILY the Fireball. __________________ Defamer - Brisbane Death Metal Tower Of Fire - Brain Haemorrhage Simulation Euro Flower Metal <- Free album download!

06-02-2007, 05:42 AM	#7
Ror3h ss.org Regular Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Manchester, UK Posts: 702 Thanked: 7	ENGL all the way, although I'm a little biased Gona be recording some stuff with it this week so I'll post the clips of it when I'm done if you want? __________________ My music page.

06-02-2007, 07:44 AM	#8
budda Guiterrorizer Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: London ONT Posts: 15,471 Thanked: 132	try very hard to try both of them out - ya gotta see how it handles YOUR guitar, the pros give an indication of what an amp can do, but you wont really know until you sit down with it and put it on 8. i have never played a cranked 5150, or heard a fireball - so im gonna say 5150 for now, because i've heard them live and on recordings. __________________ Resident counsellor-in-training, awesome dude, and all around nice guy

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06-01-2007, 11:53 AM	#2
daemon barbeque prove it! Join Date: May 2007 Location: Côte d'Azur Posts: 1,573 Thanked: 19	Well the Fireball is one of the most brutal Amps ever!With 60 watts and 1,5 channels (yeah 2 channels but universal gain and eq).Hard to get any bad tone ,and the cleans are nice.You can't do many things with the 5150 what you can do with the Fireball.A well defined ,tight and deep bass response.Nice highs and well defined midds.The Saturation is not like the 5150.It#s more like snarl/growl than fizz! The closest tone fo my ears on the MetalShop models is the AngelPball ,since Powerball and Fireball are really similar in Voicing.But fireball sounds better.

06-01-2007, 05:07 PM	#3
Hellraizer ss.org Regular Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Chattanooga, TN Posts: 420 Thanked: 9	I have a Powerball which is basically the same thing as the Fireball. It is a very wicked amp. I used to have a 5150 as well. My buddy has a 6505. It also sounds good, but I still say go with a Fireball or Powerball, more versatile. Good clean tone too. The 5150's cleans aren't as good at high volumes IMO. 5150's are very noisy too.

06-01-2007, 06:11 PM	#4
Crucified Deathgrind Maniac Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Victoria BC Posts: 1,828 Thanked: 57 $Crucified is rather kvlt and tr00. \m/$ $Crucified is rather kvlt and tr00. \m/$ $Crucified is rather kvlt and tr00. \m/$ $Crucified is rather kvlt and tr00. \m/$ $Crucified is rather kvlt and tr00. \m/$ $Crucified is rather kvlt and tr00. \m/$ $Crucified is rather kvlt and tr00. \m/$	I prefer the 5150 to a powerball/fireball. powerballs are good though, they are a bit more versitile that 5150s and have a built in gate on some of them but i just like the tone of a 5150 more. either way you're going to have a rad sounding amp in this case.

06-02-2007, 08:30 AM	#9
Jeff Banned from Reality Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Illinois Posts: 4,262 Thanked: 23	Fireball. Never played one, but have dug every clip I've heard, and I hate the 5150.

06-02-2007, 10:02 AM	#10
Tymon ss.org Regular Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: netherlands Posts: 166 Thanked: 23 / 1	Hmm I prefer 5150 all the way!

06-02-2007, 10:05 AM	#11
Ror3h ss.org Regular Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Manchester, UK Posts: 702 Thanked: 7	SoundClick song info: Symbolic Symbiosis by Ror3h - Song info page with free MP3 music downloads Here just recorded that today. All the rythm parts are my Fireball. __________________ My music page.

06-02-2007, 11:00 AM	#12
Hawksmoor Wannabe Shredder Join Date: May 2005 Location: Zaventem/Belgium Posts: 1,105 Thanked: 2	6505. I'm getting one to complement my rig __________________ Trust your ears. In life and music, what is is but that doesn't always mean it's what it should. Change, is in our hands. My band: http://www.corpusweb.eu/

06-02-2007, 11:41 AM	#13
DSS3 Banned Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: - Posts: 1,355 Thanked: 3	Two totally different amps. I love my 5150 for what I do, but I also plan on picking up a Fireball.

06-02-2007, 12:58 PM	#14
noodles I'm your huckleberry Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Woodbridge, VA Posts: 17,832 Thanked: 300	I prefer the 5150. There is something about the midrange of Engls that I don't really like. It seems a bit artificial or processed sounding. The 5150 just seems more organic, with more of aggressive growl to the midrange. Either way, for Unearth and Nevermore, a 5150 or Recto is the amp to have. They both lend that looser, thicker chunk to the sound, almost as if the note is exploding when you hit it. Nevermore sounded their best when they were playing Rectos, and this is why. Kranks also have a more processed sound--not that I'm comparing them to Engl, because Engl doesn't have a tone that sucks--which is why live the band just doesn't sound quite right to me. The best advice for you was given earlier in the thread: try out both amps extensively before you make your purchase. No one amp is for everyone's playing style. Try to buy from a store with 30 day return policy, because this will let you play it with your band, which is where so many amps really bite the dust. We've all owned the amp that sounds brutal as hell in the bedroom, only to fall apart in the full mix of the band. I think 5150s and Rectos are the opposite, in that they really don't sound good until you get the full band going. __________________ Noodles Division: American Metal without the suck. kxksales@gmail.com "Somewhere along the way, the Straight Talk Express lost some wheels..." --Barack Obama on John McCain

06-02-2007, 01:17 PM	#15
zimbloth Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Boston Posts: 15,109 Thanked: 140	I love both of these amps, but in the end, the 5150 has a warmer, more harmonically rich and brutal tone than the Fireball. The FB is incredible in its tight, clear response, but it I realized once I got my VHT (the complete opposite of an ENGL other than its clarity) what I had been missing. The Fireball (and to a much greater extent, the Powerball) just have such a 2 dimensional sound compared to a VHT, or even a 5150/Mesa/other amps that just have it.

06-02-2007, 01:59 PM	#16
Shaman ss.org Regular Join Date: May 2005 Location: Finland Posts: 2,235 Thanked: 12	I would go with the 6505/5150 as well. It is a very versatile amp when it comes to distorted tones. You just have to know how to dial it. If you are getting a fizzy tone, back down the gain, treble or presence... The 5150/6505 is not as tight as the Fireball, but it still is a tight amp. And it sounds absolutely huge whit good settings. They both are great amps, but I prefer the Peavey.

06-02-2007, 03:41 PM	#19
Dropped2C ss.org Regular Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: ohio Posts: 329 Thanked: 9	5150 with a bias mod, no fizz or no bullshit shrill complaints that you always hear about a 5150. it really comes down to opinion, I stuck my old 3 channel channel recto in a band context with a powerball and i preferred the mesa more, IMO the mesa stomped it the mesa took over alot of the frequency. now alone in your room and scooped yeah the powerball sounded great but in a bad setting i hated it. neither amps you mentioned above are bad, i prefer the 5150 with the bias mod and if you want the clarity mod.

06-02-2007, 06:05 PM	#21
Emperoff Hasta la vista, Baby Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Spain Posts: 2,164 Thanked: 13	Thanks guys I forgot to mention that I play with a Hellraiser, so the pickups should make a big difference too. I tried the 5150, my bandmate has one, but he said that it lacks 2 tunes or something like that, and sounded a little fizzy. I didn't tried it with drums and fully cranked, anyway. I don't think I'll buy a recto. It's out of my range. Anyway, the 5150 caught my attention at first, because all my favourite sounds from metal bands were recorded with those amps, but it's studio, so you never know... And I don't know bands using the ENGLs right now (there would be useless input anyway ). One think that screws me up it's thatas soon as I buy the amp, I have to mod it to turn it into something decent. And that means more money to spend, something that I don't have. The lack of real cleans on the 5150 it's a drawback too

06-02-2007, 11:11 PM	#23
DSS3 Banned Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: - Posts: 1,355 Thanked: 3	Yeah - cleans are a non-issue for me, so the 5150 was a total no-brainer.

06-03-2007, 05:37 AM	#24
Hawksmoor Wannabe Shredder Join Date: May 2005 Location: Zaventem/Belgium Posts: 1,105 Thanked: 2	Hmmm, I just realized that quite a few bands I like switched from Peavey 5150/6505 to Krank... __________________ Trust your ears. In life and music, what is is but that doesn't always mean it's what it should. Change, is in our hands. My band: http://www.corpusweb.eu/

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ENGL Fireball Vs. Peavey 5150