# Thoughts on the ENGL Ritchie Blackmore (E650)



## Distortion (Feb 26, 2009)

Hello all,

I've heard great things about the Ritchie Blackmore ENGL 100w head.
Did anyone of you try it out? played it? heard it in real life?

I've seen numerous vids on Youtube comparing it to the Mesa Single rectifier but eh, we all know how accurate Youtube vids can be hehehe

Also, would this be useful for high-gain stuff? I play thrash and death metal. I love my Dual Recto and I intend to keep it.. i'm just looking for some ENGL vibe and tightness without having to drop twice the price of my DR.

I'm also aware about the single controls for the four channels -- this isn't a prob for me though.

Thanks!


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## Distortion (Feb 26, 2009)

Cool man, thanks for the insight!

Well, time to start saving up


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## Lankles (Feb 27, 2009)

Distortion said:


> .. i'm just looking for some ENGL vibe and tightness without having to drop twice the price of my DR.



Fireball.


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## Scar Symmetry (Feb 27, 2009)

my suggestion is and always will be an ENGL Savage 120!

Blackmores are more for rock/blues players dude, that's who they are marketed at, hence the Ritchie Blackmore signature part


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## Scali (Feb 27, 2009)

Well, I don't have a real Engl Blackmore, but my Zoom G9.2tt modeler includes a model of one. It's become my standard modern metal rhythm sound for recording. It's a dark and thick tone, great for palmmuted powerchords and things (but definitely not the 'fizzy' tone often heard in thrash metal, then again, I don't think any Engl has a very 'thrashy' sound anyway, they tend to be dark, fat and compressed in nature). I use it for gothic/symphonic metal stuff (think Within Temptation, Nightwish, Evanescence etc).

It's a bit dry for lead playing imho, but I found that if you spike it with a treble booster in front, it moves more into Marshall territory, with a nice sweet mid-end, and a more singing tone. Although for leads I still use a JCM2000TSL model.

Not sure how useful that is to you, but if my modeler is anything to go by, the Blackmore can do much more than just rock/blues. It has lots of gain and quite a modern voicing.


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## petereanima (Feb 27, 2009)

hm, imho the blackmore can do high gain metal pretty well, don't let the "blackmore" thing confuse you.

its different to the other Engls, more "natural" and not that over-compressed and over-saturated as the 'balls. more dry.

you could still boost it to get more saturation/compression and to tighten it up.


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## Distortion (Feb 27, 2009)

Lankles said:


> Fireball.



The reason I kind of overlooked the fireball is because, like someone said on this forum (don't remember who or when) that the fireball just isn't an amp that people tend to stick with...

Meaning that they'll get a Fireball and end up selling it down the line not too long after it was bought...

But I guess it could suite me pretty well since i'm more of a Mesa guy but i'd love to have the option to pop out an ENGL-ish sound from time to time 

Thanks!


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## stuh84 (Feb 27, 2009)

The Fireball is a good amp, but it just isn't versatile, and against certain amps it has difficulty cutting through (My Invader for example).


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## Distortion (Feb 27, 2009)

stuh84 said:


> The Fireball is a good amp, but it just isn't versatile, and against certain amps it has difficulty cutting through (My Invader for example).



For versatility i'll keep to my Dual Rectifier... That is an other concern -- the cutting through part.

I jam with a hard hitting drummer. We've been using his old Fender 90w SS amp for a while (seriously loud enough if set about half way and the mid are dimed). Would a Fireball have a hard time keeping up?

Or would it simply be buried tonally by an other amp like my Mesa ?
On an other note, would a Powerball have a hard time cutting through too?


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## stuh84 (Feb 27, 2009)

I personally think the Powerball was made to not cut through anything, I seriously do not like that amp whatsoever.

The Fireball seems to be fine on its own, but the moment another guitar and cymbals kick in, it just dissapears completely. My backup Marshall Valvestate 8200 is doing a better job cutting against my Invader and cymbals than the Fireball did (other guitarist in me band is lending the 8200 while he gets his new amp this coming week).


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## gorsch (Feb 27, 2009)

petereanima said:


> hm, imho the blackmore can do high gain metal pretty well, don't let the "blackmore" thing confuse you.
> 
> its different to the other Engls, more "natural" and not that over-compressed and over-saturated as the 'balls. more dry.
> 
> you could still boost it to get more saturation/compression and to tighten it up.


 
couldnt agree more. I run a 5150II and my other guy runs a Blackmore. It's very capable of doing the brutalz but in a different nature. I had a powerball that I thought would replace my 5150II, oviously I was wrong because I no longer have it and am still running the 5150II. 

Go Savage 120


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## Scar Symmetry (Feb 27, 2009)

> Go Savage 120



Listen to this man, he knows what he's talking about!

Savage = win/win/win


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## gorsch (Feb 27, 2009)

I wish I had one. I want to go Savage 120 but dont have the fund-age


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## Scar Symmetry (Feb 27, 2009)

same here dude, I want so bad but I can't afford it for shit.

I'm trying to devise cunning ways that I could obtain £1600/£1700 so I can finally own my dream amp!


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## Jan (Feb 27, 2009)

stuh84 said:


> The Fireball seems to be fine on its own, but the moment another guitar and cymbals kick in, it just dissapears completely.




Piared with e.g. ENGL STANDARD 4x12 cab the Fireball sounds awesome if you play just with the drummer - tight as hell, heavy, brutal, powerful. The moment the other guitarist comes in, you're out of the mix. And this isn't a lodness issue, it's more a frequency-related problem.

As for the Blackmore I tried this amp out a couple of times and really liked it. It DID lack some low-end compared to the Fireball, but I would say it was still PERFECTLY capable of doing the brootalz.  It just sounded smoother and a bit looser than the FB, but still brutal. Haven't tried it in a band context (well, just once at a gig, but I was so nervous then I didn't pay attention to the sound)...


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## smith10210 (Feb 27, 2009)

Ive owned a few Blackmore's , and Savages, fireball,powerball,SE. I really like the Blackmore the best for the $. It can do metal fine its clearest of the bunch and least saturated, it has a contour switch which will scooped your mids or add like the savage. To gain some lowend you have to put new power tubes in it bias it properly and put a RFT in v1. One more thing it sounds excellent with the Vader cab which will help in the lowend also. There are alot of great clips on YouTube of it... The lowend boosts on the SE and Savage where useless to me ok at lower volume though..


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## elhantiri (Aug 1, 2009)

Scar Symmetry said:


> my suggestion is and always will be an ENGL Savage 120!
> 
> Blackmores are more for rock/blues players dude, that's who they are marketed at, hence the Ritchie Blackmore signature part



i guess it's too late and weird to add my comment but anyway... i just wanted to say that you are dead wrong man!! engl blackmore is basicaly a simple savage120!! blackmroe wanted some easy controls/panel( marshall like), i did notice that mainly because of blackmore name and also the versatility of the amp people tend to assume that it's not a high gain amp, well, again its aboslutely wrong
watch this: watch?v=S9fWVQ4LqwI
peace!!


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