# Engl Amps owners thread :D



## Cobhc221

post your prised engls here! 

i currenlty own an Engl Invader 150


----------



## MrPowers

Engl Victor Smolski owner here!




I love this thing...


----------



## Cobhc221

holy shit..... i really wanted that engl!


----------



## Krucifixtion

Minus pedal board. I might just use the Axe-Fx II for all FX soon though.


----------



## snowblind56




----------



## Wizard of Ozz

My Engl wall of death:


----------



## The omnipotent one

My humble offering




I really want to pair this with an Uberkab, but I'll probably hold off until I get a Savage or a Blackmore.


----------



## Berti_smb

My Engl e530 tube preamp paired with handmade custom 50w (EL34) mono tube poweramp and Rocktron Hush Super C nosigate put in loop of e530. I boost Higain lead channel with KFX Overdrive (TS9 clone) and it is perfect for my death metal/grindocre/crust band Krlja ( Music | Krlja )


----------



## ZeroTolerance94

This used to be my rig before I sold it. 
I regret it literally every day. Every time I go to pick up my guitar. 






Oh well. Got a Dual Rec on layaway to build a rig again. No more Engl for me. Not for a little while anyways. ENGL's here in the US are suuuuper expensive


----------



## mcleanab

Berti_smb said:


> My Engl e530 tube preamp paired with handmade custom 50w (EL34) mono tube poweramp and Rocktron Hush Super C nosigate put in loop of e530. I boost Higain lead channel with KFX Overdrive (TS9 clone) and it is perfect for my death metal/grindocre/crust band



I had the Engl e530 and Rocktron HUSH for a while and loved it. Great preamp. If I win the lottery, I might get another Engl of some sort down the line...


----------



## Berti_smb

ZeroTolerance94 said:


> This used to be my rig before I sold it.
> I regret it literally every day. Every time I go to pick up my guitar.



Right now i am considering to sell whole rack and buy FB100...


----------



## Mklane




----------



## wheelsdeal

I dont have an ENGL amp yet but i just bought an XXL cab and its monstrous.


----------



## Casper777

Another ENGL fan here... I've switched from ENGL to Hughes & Kettner back and forth for years... really my tow favorite brands. HK for the organic and smooth tone, ENGL for tighness and aggressiveness!

I own:

- SE 670 6L6 head with a 4x12 Pro cab
- Viktor Smolski head (into a marshall 1960 4x12 cab)
- a e530 preamp at home that I plus in the return of my H&K Grandmeister head...


----------



## oracles

Very stupidly sold off my Invader 150 a while back, went through a slew of amps in the interim, but I'm rejoining the ENGL family having just bought an Ironball tonight. Haven't found an amp yet that sounds as good as the ENGL's do.


----------



## Jlang




----------



## Stooly

Love my Powerball v.1


----------



## MAJ Meadows SF

Back when I owned a bigger rig...









Sadly, guitar GAS claimed this one, and just as well the fact that I needed to downsize. 150 watts in an apartment is a no-go, as well as the space of that head and cabs. So, I compromised, grabbed a nice little Mesa 1x12 with a C90 Black Shadow which is a major space saver, and the wonderful ENGL Ironball. Overall they pair very well, and the ENGL makes up for the speaker's lack of upper mids. It's loud as f*ck, sounding waaay bigger than a standard 1x12 and even some 2x12s. 





The KxK is just a photo whore, but nobody should be complaining.


----------



## Jlang

Dude, straight up. Your KXK is the inspiration for my Blackwater build. Sexy. As. Fvck.


----------



## MAJ Meadows SF

Jlang said:


> Dude, straight up. Your KXK is the inspiration for my Blackwater build. Sexy. As. Fvck.



Cool! I can't believe Rob made twins of this. Just insane.

My next ENGL purchase will probably be a Savage 120 with KT88s, unless I get to try the Invader II, and have the cash after undoubtedly loving it.


----------



## Sdrizis89

Engl Savage owner. Its my favorite amp. Gets me the tone i envisioned and the clean is pretty damn good for a high gain head. Amp has two FX loops, which is awesome, but my only complaint is that the pedal board doesn't have an FX loop switch for either. Not sure if they do but if they don't, Engl should make a pedal board that can access all 4 channels on the amp as well as both FX loops (on/off).


----------



## Nillet

Ironball is the latest and greatest. Have owned a Fireball and an SE also. Went away from Engl for a bit but am back to stay.


----------



## sonofabias

wheelsdeal said:


> I dont have an ENGL amp yet but i just bought an XXL cab and its monstrous.



serious sub sonic rumble


----------



## Krucifixtion

I love my Invader 150. I'm running KT77's in it. Wish I could try an Invader II to see how it compares.


----------



## sonofabias

I not been on SSF for awhile , very happy to see this thread finally come about . This should have happened years ago . I'll post pictures asap of my latest rigg ! Cheers


----------



## sonofabias

The Invader's pretty amazing and versitile .


oracles said:


> Very stupidly sold off my Invader 150 a while back, went through a slew of amps in the interim, but I'm rejoining the ENGL family having just bought an Ironball tonight. Haven't found an amp yet that sounds as good as the ENGL's do.


----------



## iRaiseTheDead

I just got an ENGL Invader last weekend! Pics soon!


----------



## viesczy

I am so tempted to pick up either a Savage or an Invader. I tried the original PB and I couldn't live with it, there was something about its tone that "hurt" my ears at the time. Looking back I really think it was as much me falling out of love with the Vin30 (I was running everything through that then.

Derek


----------



## Thorerges

I tried that at a GC store and was blown away. Currently deciding between buying this rig or an ENGL combo amp.

The ironball is just a beast of an amp, unbelievable machine really. Shame however is that the price of these amps is so high they're in the same league as an axe fx.


----------



## Ericjutsu

someone post clips of their Invaders! Those amps are awesome. I wish I had the money to buy one but that'll never happen.


----------



## HighGain510

I need to get some pics up of mine, I'm rocking an Engl Invader 100 again these days and loving it! Such a versatile tube amp!


----------



## MAJ Meadows SF

iRaiseTheDead said:


> I just got an ENGL Invader last weekend! Pics soon!


 
You WILL raise the dead with that thing!



Thorerges said:


> I tried that at a GC store and was blown away. Currently deciding between buying this rig or an ENGL combo amp.
> 
> The ironball is just a beast of an amp, unbelievable machine really. Shame however is that the price of these amps is so high they're in the same league as an axe fx.


 
Run that thing through a 4x12 or 2x12. Holy shit it's awesome!


----------



## Thorerges

MAJ Meadows SF said:


> You WILL raise the dead with that thing!
> 
> 
> 
> Run that thing through a 4x12 or 2x12. Holy shit it's awesome!



2X12 dude! Live in an apartment, can't go 4x12 I'll blow the place up.

My last guitar teacher (Christian Muenzner) recommended ENGL, they did not disappoint. Definitely sold on this company., wish they extended their manufacturing to the US. Here is to hoping!


----------



## sonofabias

My current rig , Engl 920 stereo power amp , Peavey Rockmaster preamp ( moded ) Engl XXL 4/12 cab . I'd like to pair the 920 with a e570 preamp which would be ideal , until then I'll use the Rockmaster , maybe both ! Pictures will be posted when it's possible .


----------



## Cobhc221

jesus that engl wall.....


----------



## feki

I had ROCMASTER, wonderful singing tones, but old and unreliable relay contacts and jack FX. My new configuration:


----------



## Cobhc221

Ericjutsu said:


> someone post clips of their Invaders! Those amps are awesome. I wish I had the money to buy one but that'll never happen.



sure! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RtF_nw95Afs&list=UUBY2-OiERCrCFyG6-GER6YA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HahE1-X3-xo&index=17&list=UUBY2-OiERCrCFyG6-GER6YA


----------



## sonofabias

Cobhc221 said:


> jesus that engl wall.....



 Hey , what's up , did you ever find a XXL cab ? Hope your search was successful !


----------



## sonofabias

Cobhc221 said:


> sure! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RtF_nw95Afs&list=UUBY2-OiERCrCFyG6-GER6YA
> 
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HahE1-X3-xo&index=17&list=UUBY2-OiERCrCFyG6-GER6YA



Nice rig , I thought of using some of the same components , including a 530 and the 1101 , but I really want a E570 along with a good processor . Cheers


----------



## sonofabias

Here's my current rig


----------



## sonofabias

I'm also looking for a midi controller for my rack since I can control two preamps with the E920 .


----------



## Cobhc221

sonofabias said:


> Hey , what's up , did you ever find a XXL cab ? Hope your search was successful !



actually yes! and thank god its in my town.

a guy by the name of tim has one for $600 so im trying to snag that shit!

yeah hahaha that engl invader is my baby but it needs new tubes.

you have a vintage setup mr friend haha


----------



## sonofabias

Cobhc221 said:


> actually yes! and thank god its in my town.
> 
> a guy by the name of tim has one for $600 so im trying to snag that shit!
> 
> yeah hahaha that engl invader is my baby but it needs new tubes.
> 
> you have a vintage setup mr friend haha



 That's a great price for it and no shipping.! Good luck


----------



## TheKindred

I'm rocking the the Fireball 60, but just wasn't cutting through so I upgraded to the SE. Invader is the next step...


Quick question to avoid starting a new thread:

I have two e530's, one with an orange label the other with a red label. Anyone know the difference between them?


----------



## p4vl

Engl Screamer 50 head owner here, looking to become an ex-Engl owner. The only prices for used Screamer heads that I can find are from Europeland and Guitar Center's used section. I don't remember what I bought it for but it was a steal. 

Amp is in great condition, retubed w/JJ 12ax7's and 6l6gc's, plus the Z5 footswitch and a couple of cables (I don't have a use for them, might as well go to the new owner). I might just throw in the original Engl stock 5881s for the hell of it. 

$900? More? 

Thanks.


----------



## Cobhc221

TheKindred said:


> I'm rocking the the Fireball 60, but just wasn't cutting through so I upgraded to the SE. Invader is the next step...
> 
> 
> Quick question to avoid starting a new thread:
> 
> I have two e530's, one with an orange label the other with a red label. Anyone know the difference between them?



i wish i could help you there....you could message ENGL about that tho.


----------



## Cobhc221

good news guys! the owner of the XXl cab is going to hold it for me untill i can get that cab!


----------



## Thorerges

Quick Invader II question here. I tried the Invader II recently - it is an unbelievable amp, the tones are extremely good, this thing is versatile as hell and if I was in for a 100W head, that would be the one, no doubt. 

However, when I was tweaking this thing for like 40 minutes, it was some work actually, but the tones were so good (everything from metal to blues to old rock - the store owner then said "You haven't even scratched the surface with this thing", and pointed me to the Sound Wizard module on the back of the amp. He tried to explain it, i kind of get what it is (it gives you more control over the actual tubes), and from what I get - he said it was basically allowing you more sound options. 

Does anyone actually understand what this thing does? I know its not digital, so its not like an axe fx or podhd (this is what the owner was trying to sell me).


----------



## fappenmeister

I'm going to be buying either a Savage or PBII next year. I can't play either before I buy, but what's the major sound difference to those that have played them?

I mostly play doom (Solitude Aeturnus/Candlemass style) and straight up heavy metal with the occasional death moment.

I own an e530, so I'm assuming it sounds like a less-saturated Savage, right?


----------



## rokket2005

I've had my Invader 100 for about 3 and a half years. Was my main gigging amp in the last band I was in and loved it.
Here it is with the rest of the family.


----------



## sonofabias

rokket2005 said:


> I've had my Invader 100 for about 3 and a half years. Was my main gigging amp in the last band I was in and loved it.
> Here it is with the rest of the family.



 Tower of tones !


----------



## Cobhc221

Thorerges said:


> Quick Invader II question here. I tried the Invader II recently - it is an unbelievable amp, the tones are extremely good, this thing is versatile as hell and if I was in for a 100W head, that would be the one, no doubt.
> 
> However, when I was tweaking this thing for like 40 minutes, it was some work actually, but the tones were so good (everything from metal to blues to old rock - the store owner then said "You haven't even scratched the surface with this thing", and pointed me to the Sound Wizard module on the back of the amp. He tried to explain it, i kind of get what it is (it gives you more control over the actual tubes), and from what I get - he said it was basically allowing you more sound options.
> 
> Does anyone actually understand what this thing does? I know its not digital, so its not like an axe fx or podhd (this is what the owner was trying to sell me).



from what i heard you have COMPLETE control of the tone stacks with a flick of a switch for each channel.

each lil knob will control how that specific channel will act when you play.


----------



## clintsal

Here's my contribution:





Engl Ironball 
v1: GE 5-Star 5751
v2: GE 5-Star 5751
v3: JAN GE 5751
v4: JAN Phillips 12AT7WC
Power: RFT EL84s

1x12 Pacific Woodworks Thiele with EVM-12L
1x12 Pacific Woodworks Thiele (ports sealed) with Eminence Swamp Thang

As you can probably imagine, this set up is quite versatile. For bedroom playing, the 1w setting sounds great clean or heavy through either cab (can't plug both in with the power soak, which applies to only one 8ohm output). 

At full power with a drummer, this little rig really shocked my metal buddies. The EVM Thiele is big and open sounding, super clear but monstrous at the same time. The sealed Swamp Thang cab is a great match; super tight and punchy. Cranked up, it's like getting sledgehammered in the gut with low mids and steel-toed to the face with articulate high mids. Outstanding for both power chord wreckage and techy trem riffs. 

The preamp tube upgrades were (to me) a big improvement for the gain knob sweep, high-end fizz, low-end flubbiness, dynamics, and ESPECIALLY cleans. I'd highly recommend 5751s for v1 and v2 of higher-gain amps. Even with these in there, I never turn the gain up past 2 o'clock.


----------



## Cobhc221

[SC]https://soundcloud.com/chris-ray-tarpley/engl-invader-engl-e570-se-blend-sm57[/SC]


----------



## Cobhc221

pretty ....ing excited to have my dream Rigs.

both sound sonically amazing and im glad i got them all at great prices.

i no longer go to guitar center anymore (which is fantastic)


----------



## mcleanab

I'm back to the Engl world... had the e530 for about a year, traded it for some great gear... kept that stuff for a while.... then yesterday, found my way back to a gently used e530...

Now I'm on the hunt for either two 1x12 or one 2x12 Engl cab!

Whoo!!


----------



## mcleanab

I'll do an appropriate NCD when it arrives in the next few days, but this is on it's way!!!!

Sold off a bunch of keyboard gear that I haven't used in a while... and funded this lovely beast to compliment the e530!!!!


----------



## sonofabias

mcleanab said:


> I'll do an appropriate NCD when it arrives in the next few days, but this is on it's way!!!!
> 
> Sold off a bunch of keyboard gear that I haven't used in a while... and funded this lovely beast to compliment the e530!!!!



I need one to complete my 3/4 stack ..4/12 and a 2/12 !


----------



## Cobhc221

mcleanab said:


> I'll do an appropriate NCD when it arrives in the next few days, but this is on it's way!!!!
> 
> Sold off a bunch of keyboard gear that I haven't used in a while... and funded this lovely beast to compliment the e530!!!!



sick! i was thinking of getting a 2x12 from them


----------



## BrutalExorcist

Well, congratulations all you. Y'all just shamelessly and remorselessly coerced me into................ rejoing the Engl family. 

Little backstory, I got an Engl e530 earlier in the year and was enthused to finally have my dream preamp. Then I got into a band again, and suddenly I needed live gear and thus needed to trade in the e530 (cue tragic, sad music). Then life happened, had to 'retire' from playing live, and I started selling off the live gear I acquired. Lo and behold, the store I traded it into had it for the right price, I traded in all the live gear and miscellaneous gear I had acquired, and my e530 is back in my possession.

So yeah, my holdings in Engl property are quite humble compared to many of your offerings, but hey, I'm happy to be back!


----------



## mcleanab

Tired_Wrist said:


> Well, congratulations all you. Y'all just shamelessly and remorselessly coerced me into................ rejoing the Engl family.
> 
> So yeah, my holdings in Engl property are quite humble compared to many of your offerings, but hey, I'm happy to be back!



Pics!!!


----------



## BrutalExorcist

...or it didn't happen, got it! :-D




The space heater "cabinet" underneath must mean I'm auditioning for Rush, all I can figure. 

j/k, trying to get more frugal with my equipment as I migrate more toward home studio playing. Rather than a head and a load box across the room as I was doing before, simplifying to just a good preamp within arm's reach is a lot more convenient and gets hidden variables out of my mind. Next investments studio monitors, DAW, plugins, and other basics to get my studio going.


----------



## sonofabias

Tired_Wrist said:


> Well, congratulations all you. Y'all just shamelessly and remorselessly coerced me into................ rejoing the Engl family.
> 
> Little backstory, I got an Engl e530 earlier in the year and was enthused to finally have my dream preamp. Then I got into a band again, and suddenly I needed live gear and thus needed to trade in the e530 (cue tragic, sad music). Then life happened, had to 'retire' from playing live, and I started selling off the live gear I acquired. Lo and behold, the store I traded it into had it for the right price, I traded in all the live gear and miscellaneous gear I had acquired, and my e530 is back in my possession.
> 
> So yeah, my holdings in Engl property are quite humble compared to many of your offerings, but hey, I'm happy to be back!



Glad to hear it , Happy Holidays


----------



## Cobhc221

Tired_Wrist said:


> ...or it didn't happen, got it! :-D
> 
> View attachment 44046
> 
> 
> The space heater "cabinet" underneath must mean I'm auditioning for Rush, all I can figure.
> 
> j/k, trying to get more frugal with my equipment as I migrate more toward home studio playing. Rather than a head and a load box across the room as I was doing before, simplifying to just a good preamp within arm's reach is a lot more convenient and gets hidden variables out of my mind. Next investments studio monitors, DAW, plugins, and other basics to get my studio going.



thats sick man! welcome to the Engl Familia! now GO and shred!


----------



## oracles

The newly acquired, bigger brother to my Ironball:


----------



## sinnersmoon

Here are my ENGLs


----------



## sonofabias

sinnersmoon said:


> Here are my ENGLs



Looks like your in for some " Savage Aggression "


----------



## Cobhc221

sinnersmoon said:


> Here are my ENGLs



holy shit.....i had a chance to buy a Savage SE and missed my shot at it....How is that thing?


----------



## sonofabias

I just recently saw the " rare " 60 watt version for sale in my area. . Wish I could !


Cobhc221 said:


> holy shit.....i had a chance to buy a Savage SE and missed my shot at it....How is that thing?


----------



## sinnersmoon

Cobhc221 said:


> holy shit.....i had a chance to buy a Savage SE and missed my shot at it....How is that thing?



It`s a great amp. Different from Invader.
Cleans are really nice. Not as warm as Invader`s but still nice. A little bit of chorus and delay together with on-board reverb and I`m set. The loop is not as transparent as Invader`s but the difference is really really small. It stays clean longer than Invader. 

Crunch 1 is clear and low/mid-gain tones are surprisingly nice. I didn`t expect them to be that good. Quite touch-sensitive and very dynamic. It cleans up well when you play softly and you can bring the roar just by hitting the strings harder.
Invader is more hairy, dirtier on Ch2.

Crunch 2 is your heavy crunch rhythm channel. Quite open sounding, a bit bassy with looser low-end than the Lead channel. With rough/smooth button engaged you can get nice lead tones. Actually I use it for leads with OD in front (drive 0, level somewhere between 10 and 11 o`clock) to get more liquid tone and to add a little bit of saturation/sustain with the touch of on-board reverb.

Lead channel - very tight and articulate even with too much gain. No need for boost even for 7 string guitar and OD does not make very difference. The fastest riffs or staccato rhythm are possible without becoming mushy or muddy. It already feels like boosted. More mids, bass is rolled off a bit and the tone is more compact/compressed. But not in a bad way. You may have a feeling that the tone is not fat or thick enough but it`s just more concentrated, focused. For metal rhythm I prefer this to Invader. 

You need to find the right balance between the gain knobs because Crunch 1 gain is linked with Clean gain and Lead gain is linked with Crunch 2 gain. So the higher the gain is set on Clean/Crunch 2 channel, the more gain you can get for Crunch 1/Lead channel. But in case of Crunch 2 + Lead it`s not just gain. Their gains have a bit different characters that you need to mix.

Master/Channel volumes are really great. They have a very large range and the sound is not going from mouse farts to deafening volumes in 1 mm. Actually this is very bedroom-friendly amp. More than Invader. I can practise even after 10pm with my kids sleeping in the next room and the sound is pretty good.

The only thing I wish this amp had is footswitchable loop. There are 2 loops there (one for Clean+Crunch 1 and one for Crunch2+Lead or you can assign one loop as a master loop that can be used by all channels) but they are not footswitchable. It is manageable but it would be easier that way.

With my current setup if I had to choose between Savage SE and Invader for a gig where I couldn`t use any pedals, I`d go for Savage SE.


----------



## sinnersmoon

sonofabias said:


> I just recently saw the " rare " 60 watt version for sale in my area. . Wish I could !



I played Savage 60 and though it was a nice amp, the shared EQ was a deal-breaker for me.


----------



## Cobhc221

bump


----------



## jonsick

I used to have an Engl Powerball.

I sold it ridiculously cheap during times of strife on HC. I later got hold of a TSL100. I then realized how much I hated the Powerball. 

On its own, it sounds fantastic. Put it with a band, especially with another guitarist, and you may as well not show up. It's inaudible. It just disappears into any mix at all.

And I'm not the only Powerball user to have similar complaints.

I'm back to Marshall and Peavey now and doubt very much that I'll move.


----------



## Zeriton

jonsick said:


> I used to have an Engl Powerball.
> 
> I sold it ridiculously cheap during times of strife on HC. I later got hold of a TSL100. I then realized how much I hated the Powerball.
> 
> On its own, it sounds fantastic. Put it with a band, especially with another guitarist, and you may as well not show up. It's inaudible. It just disappears into any mix at all.
> 
> And I'm not the only Powerball user to have similar complaints.
> 
> I'm back to Marshall and Peavey now and doubt very much that I'll move.



Did you have a Framus Cobra cab with that Powerball? I may have been the guy that bought your Powerball 

Funnily enough, I sold a TSL100. Totally hear what you're saying on the Powerball getting lost though. I have the mid-open control on 10 and tend to just use the focused channel. 

I've also got a 6505 and am torn between them. The Powerball sounds better clean and for leads, and the 6505 just kills for rhythm guitar. Sometimes I find the 6505 a bit too hairy/sharp though. 

Might be time to try a 5153...


----------



## jonsick

Arrr... I can't remember. I sold some fancy cabs, I'm fairly sure one of them was a Framus cabinet. I only have a solitary remaining 1960AV cabinet but it does the job quite well. Speaking of which, need to google/post about that. Thanks for reminding me.

I have a 6505+ too. Personally I preferred the 6505. I use the 6505+ for anything downtuned, but infinitely prefer my TSL100 for almost everything else. That amp just works for me!

The thing with the 5153 is that on its own it is pretty uninspiring. With a band, it kicks seven shades of s**t out of anything.

I was in the market for a 5153 this year but Marshall are coming out with the Jubillee Reissue series. So I'm completely torn and can't really afford both


----------



## Zeriton

jonsick said:


> Arrr... I can't remember. I sold some fancy cabs, I'm fairly sure one of them was a Framus cabinet. I only have a solitary remaining 1960AV cabinet but it does the job quite well. Speaking of which, need to google/post about that. Thanks for reminding me.
> 
> I have a 6505+ too. Personally I preferred the 6505. I use the 6505+ for anything downtuned, but infinitely prefer my TSL100 for almost everything else. That amp just works for me!
> 
> The thing with the 5153 is that on its own it is pretty uninspiring. With a band, it kicks seven shades of s**t out of anything.
> 
> I was in the market for a 5153 this year but Marshall are coming out with the Jubillee Reissue series. So I'm completely torn and can't really afford both



When I tried the 50w 5153 in a shop I loved it. I think for the reason people are saying they don't like it in other threads.

Really just want an amp that does it all. Considering an Invader actually. Want a great clean, light British crunch, high gain rhythm, and a smooth lead

Just bought a Marshall 6100 head. I winced a little when they reissued the 2555. It would have killed the value of my 6100 if they reissued that


----------



## jonsick

Zeriton said:


> When I tried the 50w 5153 in a shop I loved it. I think for the reason people are saying they don't like it in other threads.
> 
> Really just want an amp that does it all. Considering an Invader actually. Want a great clean, light British crunch, high gain rhythm, and a smooth lead
> 
> Just bought a Marshall 6100 head. I winced a little when they reissued the 2555. It would have killed the value of my 6100 if they reissued that



I wouldn't be surprised if a 6100LM reissue wasn't on the cards.

I read over on the Marshall forum about the reissue destroying the used value on the originals. Really, I don't see it. Neither the DSL100 nor JCM800 reissues did anything to the used value of those amps. In fact, the JCM900 reissue did nothing either. I would be surprised if suddenly this was the only amp to experience anything at all. Though Jubilees are stupid money on the used market anyway, so maybe it would be no harm.

Personally, I'm either buying a 5153 or a 2555X this year. I'll wait until some Jubiliees actually exist in shops and actual prices are on sites (not the RRP) and go check some out.


----------



## Cobhc221

im really looking into getting a used E520 preamp just to have


----------



## sinnersmoon

Cobhc221 said:


> im really looking into getting a used E520 preamp just to have


I have it. It was my first tube piece of gear.
It`s a nice preamp. Although it is officially 3 channel preamp where channel 2 and 3 are sharing the EQ, it`s basically just two channel preamp - clean & lead. Rhythm channel is too bassy to be usable. Clean is ok, nothing to write home about but it gets the job done.
Lead is very close to Savage SE I have. The bass is more open sounding but mids are not as wide. It has a mid boost button that brings some nice mids but the tone loses some definition. But it has plenty of articulation and note separation anyway. On the other hand it may sound thin to some. I recommend to pair it with some fat poweramp and 4x12 cab to add the thickness.


----------



## TheFranMan

Another ENGL player here. Currently playing through an ENGL SE E670 EL34 model. Absolutely love it, but unfortunately may have to move it because I need the cash and I don't have the time to play it as much as I used to.

I feel like I'm about to go through a breakup hahaha


----------



## fappenmeister

Savage and E530 here. The Savage is my dream come true, but the E530 might need a new home now.


----------



## vividox

Love my Fireball. Although, I do sometimes rue the fact that the Powerball II came out mere months after I got it.


----------



## Cobhc221

TheFranMan said:


> Another ENGL player here. Currently playing through an ENGL SE E670 EL34 model. Absolutely love it, but unfortunately may have to move it because I need the cash and I don't have the time to play it as much as I used to.
> 
> I feel like I'm about to go through a breakup hahaha



that amp is insane.....SOOOO many knobs lol


----------



## Cobhc221

vividox said:


> Love my Fireball. Although, I do sometimes rue the fact that the Powerball II came out mere months after I got it.



thats killer!

hows that jackson btw? i had my eyes on one for awhile.


----------



## Hemorrhage

Can any of you Engl-gurus answer to this? 

http://www.sevenstring.org/forum/gear-equipment/289996-engl-e670-line-out.html


----------



## vividox

Cobhc221 said:


> that amp is insane.....SOOOO many knobs lol


You can get any guitar tone under the sun out of that thing. I've always wanted one but never had the cash. That amp is like... my ultimate goal in life.


----------



## vividox

Cobhc221 said:


> hows that jackson btw? i had my eyes on one for awhile.


It is a beast. It plays amazingly, sounds amazing, and the actual mechanics (quality of set-up, ability to hold tuning on a floating bridge, action, etc) are the best set-up I've ever had in a guitar. Seriously, this thing feels like an absolute dream. I just got it a few months ago and just got the pick-ups and set-up tweaked to my liking in the last few weeks, so it's still got a very new car smell to it. Can't wait to start recording.


----------



## vm27

That's the DK7M right? Where did you order it from?


----------



## vividox

vm27 said:


> That's the DK7M right? Where did you order it from?


Indeed. Sweetwater.


----------



## USMarine75

The FB100 may be a one-trick pony... but it's one hell of a trick. I have several 7-strings, but honestly none sound better than my Schecter Loomis lol.


----------



## TheFranMan

Cobhc221 said:


> that amp is insane.....SOOOO many knobs lol



Hah well if you guys know anyone looking for one she's definitely available. I'd love someone to save her from Guitar Center hell


----------



## Yianni54

any Invader 2's out there?


----------



## Cobhc221

Hemorrhage said:


> Can any of you Engl-gurus answer to this?
> 
> http://www.sevenstring.org/forum/gear-equipment/289996-engl-e670-line-out.html



i sent you photos. did you get them?


----------



## JustinG60

well, i am back in the club!

http://www.sevenstring.org/forum/gear-equipment/290654-nad-engl-e656-another-morse.html


----------



## JP Universe

Last amp I buy, amazing versatility


----------



## sonofabias

JP Universe said:


> Last amp I buy, amazing versatility



One of the most flexible heads available .


----------



## sinnersmoon

@ JP Universe : Are the Invader settings in pictures your real settings? I`m curious about the CH3 especially. Because I have to keep the bass and depth punch knobs all the way down. Otherwise the sound is too boomy/bassy.

... but maybe it`s just my cab


----------



## spawnofthesith

Love this thread, huge engl fan here. I had a morse some years back, but regretfully offed it. Loved that thing though


I've toyed with this idea before, but now for realsies In the next couple of months I plan on grabbing an e530 and setting it up to basically be additional channels with my Fryette pittbull. The engl preamp should be a nice contrast to that of the fryette, and I can't imagine what tones couldn't be covered with this


----------



## sonofabias

sinnersmoon said:


> @ JP Universe : Are the Invader settings in pictures your real settings? I`m curious about the CH3 especially. Because I have to keep the bass and depth punch knobs all the way down. Otherwise the sound is too boomy/bassy.
> 
> ... but maybe it`s just my cab



 What cabinet are you using ?


----------



## sinnersmoon

sonofabias said:


> What cabinet are you using ?


Marshall MF400. I wanted to try K100s. But the sound was too scooped. So I changed 2 of them for V30s. I put them in X-pattern first but soon I moved the second one to top as well. It was better but still not good enough. So I sold the remaining pair of K100s and currently I`m playing just through a pair of V30s.


----------



## Carvinkook

its gone now.. i actually sold this to a board member and then traded for it back. Then like sold it again..haha, its just to much money for an amp head... i always think you know what i can get for $2000! 

But it is one of my favorite amps.


----------



## sonofabias

Carvinkook said:


> its gone now.. i actually sold this to a board member and then traded for it back. Then like sold it again..haha, its just to much money for an amp head... i always think you know what i can get for $2000!
> 
> But it is one of my favorite amps.



 Get another one and keep it , I intend to to get another one soon !


----------



## protest

^^^ 

I'm going to have to do the un-gear-whore thing and say don't buy it again. I look at stuff in my house and think "You know what guitar/amp/pedal I could get for how much this thing cost?" Basically you tell yourself how you want to spend your money when you do stuff like that, and you don't want to spend that money on an amp.


----------



## sonofabias

sinnersmoon said:


> Marshall MF400. I wanted to try K100s. But the sound was too scooped. So I changed 2 of them for V30s. I put them in X-pattern first but soon I moved the second one to top as well. It was better but still not good enough. So I sold the remaining pair of K100s and currently I`m playing just through a pair of V30s.



It seems to me V30s pair well with the Invader but I am considering a pair of Eminence 12s which I'd mount in my cab ( XXL ) in an X pattern .


----------



## sonofabias

Cobhc221 said:


> post your prised engls here!
> 
> i currenlty own an Engl Invader 150



NAD , this actually happened sunday , included a nice drive up to Bear Mtn. to pick it up . The head needs some TLC and repair which I'm more than happy to do . In spite of the repairs I'll have to make ( tubes , possible OP transformer and a few diodes ) it's worth it for me , it's just what I really need . The best thing about this ...it was free . I gave the guy a pre amp I'm not using , to say thank you .


----------



## will_shred

Do you guys know how much a Powerball v1 would go for used in decent shape?


----------



## sonofabias

will_shred said:


> Do you guys know how much a Powerball v1 would go for used in decent shape?



I've seen them go for various $ , from 800 to 1200 .


----------



## sonofabias

sonofabias said:


> NAD , this actually happened sunday , included a nice drive up to Bear Mtn. to pick it up . The head needs some TLC and repair which I'm more than happy to do . In spite of the repairs I'll have to make ( tubes , possible OP transformer and a few diodes ) it's worth it for me , it's just what I really need . The best thing about this ...it was free . I gave the guy a pre amp I'm not using , to say thank you .



 Pictures of my latest score !


----------



## Cobhc221

sonofabias said:


> Pictures of my latest score !


 DUDE! welcome to the familia!


----------



## cdf294

Not 1 of these in 5 pages so I will just leave this here.


----------



## Cobhc221

cdf294 said:


> Not 1 of these in 5 pages so I will just leave this here.



How is that amp? i've yet to play one


----------



## cdf294

Cobhc221 said:


> How is that amp? i've yet to play one



I love this amp. 
Decided that I wanted something different since I was getting tired of owning nothing but 6L6 amps. The Retro tag is very deceiving. 
It offers a lot of sonic possibilities but it can most definitely bring the metal goods as well.

All amps have left the building other than this one and the Deliverance.


----------



## pecado




----------



## Cobhc221

pecado said:


>



How is that ironball? i've beeen gassing for a lil 20w lunchbox amp.


----------



## pecado

Cobhc221 said:


> How is that ironball? i've beeen gassing for a lil 20w lunchbox amp.




I really love this amp.I had Mini Recto before and i play Death Metal and Melodic "Modern" Death Metal and it sounds really brutal.Master volume works well for bedroom use.I use OD808 but without it Ironball sounds really aggressive(With gain boost). I can not be objective maybe but for a 20w lunchbox amp Ironball is my favorite for now  (I haven't tried Randall Diavlo series yet)


----------



## sonofabias

Cobhc221 said:


> DUDE! welcome to the familia!



 Thank you , this is actually my second e640 , I've been an Engl " artist " since 06 " when I picked up my first one , got my XXL cab soon after direct from Engl as a noted user . They dropped me two years ago but I'm hoping to have my " endorse' ( if you will ) status returned in the near future as I'll possibly be touring this summer/ fall .


----------



## oracles

Cobhc221 said:


> How is that ironball? i've beeen gassing for a lil 20w lunchbox amp.



I have nothing but good things to say about them. I owned one for a good while, and it's the best sounding "lunchbox" head I've come across. Leaps and bounds ahead of the mini recto, and the mini mark. The gain is tight and aggressive, and it cleans up beautifully too. Despite having a shared EQ, switching between the two channels it's still a very versatile little amp. It takes pedals well, and it doesn't feel like a toy like most other mini heads do. The Axe Palace was spot on when they said it was a real professional grade amplifier, just thrown into a smaller chassis.


----------



## Cobhc221

sonofabias said:


> Thank you , this is actually my second e640 , I've been an Engl " artist " since 06 " when I picked up my first one , got my XXL cab soon after direct from Engl as a noted user . They dropped me two years ago but I'm hoping to have my " endorse' ( if you will ) status returned in the near future as I'll possibly be touring this summer/ fall .



oh .... ;D! i hope it all falls into place for you man!


----------



## Cobhc221

oracles said:


> I have nothing but good things to say about them. I owned one for a good while, and it's the best sounding "lunchbox" head I've come across. Leaps and bounds ahead of the mini recto, and the mini mark. The gain is tight and aggressive, and it cleans up beautifully too. Despite having a shared EQ, switching between the two channels it's still a very versatile little amp. It takes pedals well, and it doesn't feel like a toy like most other mini heads do. The Axe Palace was spot on when they said it was a real professional grade amplifier, just thrown into a smaller chassis.



i just might pick one up in the future.


----------



## sonofabias

Cobhc221 said:


> oh .... ;D! i hope it all falls into place for you man!



 Thank you !


----------



## Hemorrhage

I just sold my Axe FXII and got this E670. Best decision ever.


----------



## Casper777

Hemorrhage said:


> I just sold my Axe FXII and got this E670. Best decision ever.


 
I just went the other way around... Just got a Kemper and trying to sell my SE670  (after profiling it of course).

Nice amp by the way... BrOOtalz as hell!! Congrats!


----------



## Cobhc221

Hemorrhage said:


> I just sold my Axe FXII and got this E670. Best decision ever.



holy balls! congrats on the hefty investment!


----------



## Hemorrhage

Cobhc221 said:


> holy balls! congrats on the hefty investment!



Ty.

I got it  for a really, really good price. 1600 including a flighcase and a Z-9.


----------



## Hemorrhage

Casper777 said:


> I just went the other way around... Just got a Kemper and trying to sell my SE670  (after profiling it of course).
> 
> Nice amp by the way... BrOOtalz as hell!! Congrats!



I personally "hated" the Axe. Even if I managed to make it sound almost like the real deal, the feel drags far behind. 

Kemper is still tempting but my Torpedo Live is getting shipped today, I think I'm gonna be golden with this setup since you know, I only fetch for the Engl tone in the modelers too


----------



## sinnersmoon

Hemorrhage said:


> Ty.
> 
> I got it  for a really, really good price. 1600 including a flighcase and a Z-9.


That`s an awesome price for ENGL SE.

I dig the Amfisound too.


----------



## narad

Hemorrhage said:


> Ty.
> 
> I got it  for a really, really good price. 1600 including a flighcase and a Z-9.



Wow, that's really exceptional.


----------



## Casper777

narad said:


> Wow, that's really exceptional.


 
I sell mine for not much much more in the gear ads section


----------



## vividox

I'm really glad to see these comments on the Axe FX. I was damn near tempted to sell my Fireball rig recently to put the money towards the Axe FX, but there is just something about tubes that I love and don't want to get away from.

Now I'm saving for a Torpedo Reload instead, and the long term plan is to pick up a Special Edition (or a H&K MKIII, but those are words of heresy in this thread ).

Yay affirmation.


----------



## sonofabias

vividox said:


> I'm really glad to see these comments on the Axe FX. I was damn near tempted to sell my Fireball rig recently to put the money towards the Axe FX, but there is just something about tubes that I love and don't want to get away from.
> 
> Now I'm saving for a Torpedo Reload instead, and the long term plan is to pick up a Special Edition (or a H&K MKIII, but those are words of heresy in this thread ).
> 
> Yay affirmation.



 I think you made a great choice , as much as I see hear and read about the Fractal stuff I could never use one to " replace " my tube amps , i could see obtaining one as an additional sonic tool if you will . I'm still having trouble getting accustomed to my gsp 1101 which by the way I want to replace with an e570 pre or find another SE in addition to my Invader 150 .


----------



## narad

Casper777 said:


> I sell mine for not much much more in the gear ads section



Hah, that pickup-only is costing you though!


----------



## Cobhc221

im considering buying another engl in the future.

is the savage a model i should look into?


----------



## sinnersmoon

Cobhc221 said:


> im considering buying another engl in the future.
> 
> is the savage a model i should look into?


Depends.
What do you miss in Invader and SE preamp?


----------



## charlessalvacion

Any reviews on the ENGL 530 Preamp?

I am tempted to get one as I am building a simple rack unit. Thanks ENGL owners!


----------



## BrutalExorcist

charlessalvacion said:


> Any reviews on the ENGL 530 Preamp?
> 
> I am tempted to get one as I am building a simple rack unit. Thanks ENGL owners!




Might be a somewhat different tone and touch response than you're used to based on my own interpretation of your Soundcloud songs, but otherwise hugely recommended for a simple rack unit. I'm very happy with my 530.


----------



## charlessalvacion

Tired_Wrist said:


> Might be a somewhat different tone and touch response than you're used to based on my own interpretation of your Soundcloud songs, but otherwise hugely recommended for a simple rack unit. I'm very happy with my 530.



Thanks for listening man. That link is about 3years old. I have since changed a bit of my guitar tone, but not drastic.

Can the E530 do modern metal ala Conquring Dystopia or modern Cannibal Corpse tones?

Thanks again!


----------



## BrutalExorcist

I'd definitely say yes, it can do modern metal. If your ear likes what you're hearing in the e530, then it'll definitely give you what you're looking for.


----------



## Hemorrhage

charlessalvacion said:


> Any reviews on the ENGL 530 Preamp?
> 
> I am tempted to get one as I am building a simple rack unit. Thanks ENGL owners!



I did not personally like my E530, I feel it does not have what makes Engl special to me. In good and bad. IIRC it was really tight and dry, maybe even a little cold. Did not have gain like the Engl's usually. But one likes the mother, one likes the daughter; it was not bad, just not to my liking.


----------



## Cobhc221

has anyone looked into the Matal Master series?


----------



## vividox

Just enough to intrigue myself on the concept of putting an amp in a smaller head and getting different watt options for various venues/studio recording setups. I haven't had the chance to try any of them yet, though.

The Gigmaster looks like a small head version of a Fireball with power soak / line-out capabilities. (The 15 watt version can be played at 15, 5, 1, and 0 watts; the 30 watt version appears to only have 30 and 0 watt options, i.e. a 30 watt amp with a 0 watt line-out.)

The Metalmaster looks like a Gigmaster with digital reverb.

The Rockmaster looks damn near identical to the Metalmaster, not really sure what the difference is there.


----------



## Sumsar

On the Engl E530 for metal: I have one (and a powerball) and use it for death and black metal. Now I did at some point thought that it didn't have quite enough gain but I resently got a mxr gt-od (garden variety tube screamer) and it gives it the last 10% that it is not born with.
It is great for home practicing but live I have had troubles with it, because you set the gain around 8 or 10 (out of 10), you can get quite a lot of feedback.

So yes it can do very modern tones, especially with a TS, and it can be had very cheap, especially used, compared to other Engl amps. However it is not the best preamp for the job.

Edit: Also for comparison with the Powerball I: On the e530 I set the gain to max most of the time, on the Powerball I rarely set it above 3 or 4 (as in ~10 o'clock) and get about the same tone / amount of gain. Just to highlight what I mean by "lacking gain".


----------



## Cobhc221

Does anyone own an Engl Savage SE ?


----------



## sinnersmoon

Cobhc221 said:


> Does anyone own an Engl Savage SE ?



I do - see my little review on page 3 of this thread though now I have to bring it to tech. It`s blowing the fuse - probably I`ll need a fresh set of power tubes.


----------



## Jorock

This thread wins! Owner of an invader 100 but there's already tons of pics here of it lol


----------



## Mmcgrouty

I've had my Ritchie Blackmore for a week now, it's everything I was hoping it would be. Great amp.


----------



## chopeth85

i ve got a savage SE and a Diezel Herbert and if i'd had to have only one amp, i wouldnt know which one would be the best...

the savage SE has one of the best lead channels ive ever tried...its full, thick, organic but uber tight and aggresive..even at uber low volume you can set it to play bands like arch enemy with any kind of boost.

the clean channel ( pre amp mode ) is deep and rich, really musical with pedals like chorus, reverbs or delays 

the crunch channel is really musical and beautiful, it was a great surprise ! with the proper eq you can get great hard rock and classic rock stuff

the lead one is tight and dry , perfect for extremely fast stacatto riffs and the lead 2 is magical as i have said previously , if you like engl trademark sound.

hope that it helps !


----------



## Konstantine

My current, simple but satisfying setup. The e530 really shines with this older mesa unit.


----------



## wheelsdeal

Looks like i havent posted my fairly new toy here...am i too greedy to also want an Invader???


----------



## Cobhc221

wheelsdeal said:


> Looks like i havent posted my fairly new toy here...am i too greedy to also want an Invader???



never! get one and doooo it!


----------



## Cobhc221

sinnersmoon said:


> I do - see my little review on page 3 of this thread though now I have to bring it to tech. It`s blowing the fuse - probably I`ll need a fresh set of power tubes.



broootal ://.....i hope its just a fuse man


----------



## Cobhc221

Jorock said:


> This thread wins! Owner of an invader 100 but there's already tons of pics here of it lol



thanks ! im the MOD on the AMP PORN on FB. im the guy posting ENGLS all the time


----------



## sinnersmoon

Cobhc221 said:


> broootal ://.....i hope its just a fuse man


It was a faulty powertube. So the amp`s got a new set. Now it`s roaring again. 
The only thing that bothers me is that the tech could not fix the reverb. He says, it`s not the reverb unit itself but somewhere on the board but was not able to identify where.


----------



## Cobhc221

sinnersmoon said:


> It was a faulty powertube. So the amp`s got a new set. Now it`s roaring again.
> The only thing that bothers me is that the tech could not fix the reverb. He says, it`s not the reverb unit itself but somewhere on the board but was not able to identify where.



balls.....might have to ship it to ENGL to get fixed maybe?


----------



## BrutalExorcist

Engl practice rig of doom. I got the PA speaker for free in a deal long ago, and it's been an office chair since. Decided to try the stereo cable trick with the power amp and set the switch on the back to "routed to headphones or hifi cab". Sound is much better than I expected and sounds amazingly huge for practice.


----------



## Zeriton

NAD! The Invader came today (after a long wait for a rubbish Yodel service). Haven't had any time to play it or take more pics, so more to follow!







Any suggestions for settings? Usually I just do it by ear but there's so many options!


----------



## Krucifixtion

Zeriton said:


> NAD! The Invader came today (after a long wait for a rubbish Yodel service). Haven't had any time to play it or take more pics, so more to follow!
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Any suggestions for settings? Usually I just do it by ear but there's so many options!



Settings?? Depends on what channel and what your into. Channel 3 I always keep the mid's maxed out though, because it's pretty scooped sounding and if you like more mid's you have to keep it dimed on that channel. If your on channel 2 you don't have to do that, because it's more Marshall like and plenty of Mids, but not as modern. I also use the bright setting on channel 3 and 4. Bass on those I never have more than half way. Usually less with plenty of Mids and treble at like 1 or 2 o'clock. Presence and Depth depends on your taste. Usually never keep the Depth more than like 10 or 11 o'clock. Presence usually up more than half way. I have KT77's in mine though.


----------



## Carvinkook

I'm baaackk! Haha, there's just something about these Engls!


----------



## Carvinkook

What?


----------



## sinnersmoon

Krucifixtion said:


> Settings?? Depends on what channel and what your into. Channel 3 I always keep the mid's maxed out though, because it's pretty scooped sounding and if you like more mid's you have to keep it dimed on that channel. If your on channel 2 you don't have to do that, because it's more Marshall like and plenty of Mids, but not as modern. I also use the bright setting on channel 3 and 4. Bass on those I never have more than half way. Usually less with plenty of Mids and treble at like 1 or 2 o'clock. Presence and Depth depends on your taste. Usually never keep the Depth more than like 10 or 11 o'clock. Presence usually up more than half way. I have KT77's in mine though.


Interesting... I`d like to know also other links in the chain - guitar, pickup and cab. My CH3 settings are different. Bass not more than 9 or 8 o`clock (depends if I`m boosting with TS or not), Mids 4 o`clock and Treble depends on Channel and Master Volume. If I play loud (Channel volume between 9 and 10 o`clock and Master between 1 and 2 o`clock), I keep my Treble (and Presence) really low. Like completely all the way down. Otherwise it`s too trebly. At practice settings (Channel volume slightly lower than 9 o`clock and Master at 9 o`clock or lower), I raise Treble to 9 o`clock and Presence between 10 o`clock and noon depending on guitar. Depth is usually at 8 o`clock. This amp has insane amount of low end and with higher Bass and Depth settings it`s getting boomy. 
Bright switch depends on the guitar. It`s sounds better on with some and off with the others. I put JAN 5751 in V1 to keep CH1 clean longer and have more usable gain range for other channels. Hi gain button is always off (rarely used for CH2). I use JJ E34L in powersection right now but I want to try TungSol`s EL34 next.

Other channels: 
CH1: Gain 9 o`clock, Bass 9 o`clock, Mids 10 o`clock, Treble 11-12 o`clock, Volume 12 o`clock, Bright on
CH2: Gain 8 o`clock, Bass 10 o`clock, Mids 12 o`clock, Treble depends on situation, Volume 10 o`clock, Bright off - I`m using this channel almost exclusively for rock.
CH4: Gain 2 o`clock, Bass 11 o`clock, Mids 11-12 o`clock, Treble 9 o`clock (or lower depending on volume), Master 9 o`clock or slightly lower, Bright usually on.

Guitars: 
Jackson SL1 - Painkiller in the bridge, SD HotRails in the neck and SD Classic Stack in the middle - B standard (at the moment)
Jackson SL3 - SD SH-5 in the bridge, neck and middle the same as SL1 - Eb standard
LTD M-400 - EMG 85 in the bridge and EMG 81 in the neck - drop C
Jack & Danny - Chinese El-cheapo 7-string with no name pickups and unknown wood (but it sounds good, so ) - B standard
Cab: Zilla 2x12 Fatboy with V30


----------



## Zeriton

Krucifixtion said:


> Settings?? Depends on what channel and what your into. Channel 3 I always keep the mid's maxed out though, because it's pretty scooped sounding and if you like more mid's you have to keep it dimed on that channel. If your on channel 2 you don't have to do that, because it's more Marshall like and plenty of Mids, but not as modern. I also use the bright setting on channel 3 and 4. Bass on those I never have more than half way. Usually less with plenty of Mids and treble at like 1 or 2 o'clock. Presence and Depth depends on your taste. Usually never keep the Depth more than like 10 or 11 o'clock. Presence usually up more than half way. I have KT77's in mine though.



Yeah I have similar settings. As mentioned from another thread:

Channel 3, hi gain ON, bright ON
Gain - 9:00
bass - 10:00
Mid - 5:30 (maxed)
Treble - 2:10
Volume - 12:30
Presence - 2:00
Depth - 9:10

I quite like this tone. It's definitely usable for the type of thing I play (progressive death metal I guess)


----------



## Zeriton

sinnersmoon said:


> Interesting... I`d like to know also other links in the chain - guitar, pickup and cab. My CH3 settings are different. Bass not more than 9 or 8 o`clock (depends if I`m boosting with TS or not), Mids 4 o`clock and Treble depends on Channel and Master Volume. If I play loud (Channel volume between 9 and 10 o`clock and Master between 1 and 2 o`clock), I keep my Treble (and Presence) really low. Like completely all the way down. Otherwise it`s too trebly. At practice settings (Channel volume slightly lower than 9 o`clock and Master at 9 o`clock or lower), I raise Treble to 9 o`clock and Presence between 10 o`clock and noon depending on guitar. Depth is usually at 8 o`clock. This amp has insane amount of low end and with higher Bass and Depth settings it`s getting boomy.
> Bright switch depends on the guitar. It`s sounds better on with some and off with the others. I put JAN 5751 in V1 to keep CH1 clean longer and have more usable gain range for other channels. Hi gain button is always off (rarely used for CH2). I use JJ E34L in powersection right now but I want to try TungSol`s EL34 next.
> 
> Other channels:
> CH1: Gain 9 o`clock, Bass 9 o`clock, Mids 10 o`clock, Treble 11-12 o`clock, Volume 12 o`clock, Bright on
> CH2: Gain 8 o`clock, Bass 10 o`clock, Mids 12 o`clock, Treble depends on situation, Volume 10 o`clock, Bright off - I`m using this channel almost exclusively for rock.
> CH4: Gain 2 o`clock, Bass 11 o`clock, Mids 11-12 o`clock, Treble 9 o`clock (or lower depending on volume), Master 9 o`clock or slightly lower, Bright usually on.
> 
> Guitars:
> Jackson SL1 - Painkiller in the bridge, SD HotRails in the neck and SD Classic Stack in the middle - B standard (at the moment)
> Jackson SL3 - SD SH-5 in the bridge, neck and middle the same as SL1 - Eb standard
> LTD M-400 - EMG 85 in the bridge and EMG 81 in the neck - drop C
> Jack & Danny - Chinese El-cheapo 7-string with no name pickups and unknown wood (but it sounds good, so ) - B standard
> Cab: Zilla 2x12 Fatboy with V30




Treble and presence completely down sounds mad to me. It would sound so dark wouldn't it?


----------



## sinnersmoon

Zeriton said:


> Treble and presence completely down sounds mad to me. It would sound so dark wouldn't it?


It isn`t (when playing loud). And that`s the thing. It worries me sometimes. I swapped several preamp tubes, tried it through different cab as well (Marshall MF400), boosted with OD (it tames some highs but makes the sound somehow smoother), put EQ in the loop (but amp sounds more natural without it) and still don`t know what to do to tailor it to my desire. 
It may be the powertubes. I had JJ 6L6 in poweramp that I paired with my E520 preamp and experienced something similar. Highs were too ear-piercing.


----------



## Zeriton

sinnersmoon said:


> It isn`t (when playing loud). And that`s the thing. It worries me sometimes. I swapped several preamp tubes, tried it through different cab as well (Marshall MF400), boosted with OD (it tames some highs but makes the sound somehow smoother), put EQ in the loop (but amp sounds more natural without it) and still don`t know what to do to tailor it to my desire.
> It may be the powertubes. I had JJ 6L6 in poweramp that I paired with my E520 preamp and experienced something similar. Highs were too ear-piercing.



This is one of the things that puts me off of these amps sometimes... I put an OD, an EQ in the loop, I set extremes of EQ etc. You're bending them out of what they "should" sound like instead of leaving things at 12 o'clock.

... Not that I'm complaining because when you do it sounds great; but it'd be nice to just have it sound like that in the first place hehe. Probably the reason we tone search.


----------



## Krucifixtion

It also depends a lot on the cab you are using. The only thing that tends to change on my settings with different guitars is the amount of gain and bass. 

I'm running KT77's with a Tung Sol in V1 and JJ's in the other preamp slots. The Tung Sol def made it brighter than with a JJ in V1. I have def seen some people keep their treble really low on this amp, but for the tone I like I would find that way too dark like that. If you want it more searing and crunchy you have to turn it up more, but not over do it too much on the presence.


----------



## Cobhc221

Zeriton said:


> NAD! The Invader came today (after a long wait for a rubbish Yodel service). Haven't had any time to play it or take more pics, so more to follow!
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Any suggestions for settings? Usually I just do it by ear but there's so many options!



congrats mate!


----------



## Cobhc221

has anyone tried the new MASTER series?


----------



## TedintheShed

This followed me home from GC last night- they are no longer going to carry Engl, and the price was right at $680.00 new, although was the floor demo. The Krank below will be sold soon.


----------



## Rawkmann

Ironball is my main amp, its everything I'd hoped for and more! Congrats!


----------



## Jaek-Chi

Well, i was already a proud ENGL owner (Fireball 60w), but i've just got myself a Savage 120. What a beast!


----------



## sinnersmoon

Jaek-Chi said:


> Well, i was already a proud ENGL owner (Fireball 60w), but i've just got myself a Savage 120. What a beast!



Congrats!
Savage 120 is much better amp than Fireball 60.


----------



## Cobhc221

Jaek-Chi said:


> Well, i was already a proud ENGL owner (Fireball 60w), but i've just got myself a Savage 120. What a beast!



CONGRATS! i plan on getting one in the near future man.


----------



## oracles

Just picked up the Artist Edition that was on the classifieds here, pretty excited to run a dual ENGL stereo rig. Still need an Invader again though...


----------



## Jaek-Chi

Cobhc221 said:


> CONGRATS! i plan on getting one in the near future man.



Thanks mate, appreciate it. One hell of an amp


----------



## Zeriton

There's so few [decent] clips or comparisons of the Savage (and the Invader actually). The Savage seems to have a reputation about it. As in it doesn't sound like other ENGLs at all?

Anyone got some examples? Would love to know how they size up vs common high gain amps - 5150s/Rectos for example. The Ola Recto vs Savage one is good but it's in a mix. Would be nice to hear raw clips.


----------



## Jaek-Chi

Zeriton said:


> There's so few [decent] clips or comparisons of the Savage (and the Invader actually). The Savage seems to have a reputation about it. As in it doesn't sound like other ENGLs at all?
> 
> Anyone got some examples? Would love to know how they size up vs common high gain amps - 5150s/Rectos for example. The Ola Recto vs Savage one is good but it's in a mix. Would be nice to hear raw clips.



I've owned 5150's/6505's, and have the Savage as well. The Savage is so much more versatile. You can definitely get a solid high gain tone from the 5150's, they are notorious for it, but they lack some of the dimension and versatility you get in the Savage. The Savage has more of everything, other's may not agree but i believe it has more balls, while being able to maintain a tight sound. The Savage has a beautiful organic feel, but a lot of the time organic can start to mean loose and flubby. The Peavey's aren't so smooth and i would even go as far as saying slightly sterile (in comparison, not in general), and are a little harsher. The Savage while being a bit smoother has massive feel but i'm so impressed with how tight and sharp the tone is. My problem with most other amps is you can't get that good mix of both like in the savage.

I'd offer for you to come try out a 6505 and a Savage, but ah, unless you are going on a holiday to Australia any time soon i probably can't help haha


----------



## TedintheShed

So guys, some observations/questions after the first few days of owning my Engl Ironball (remember, I am a bassist and this is only my second tube amp head so correct me if I am wrong):

1) The headphone out is fantastic
2) I don't think I need to use a boost for a great high gain sound- when I use my TS-9DX it seems to drive it over the top and make things less clear, kind of "mushy". Does anyone use a boost/OD in front of this? If so, what are your settings?
3) This is not just a one trick pony- I can get all kinds of usable tones out of this amp!


----------



## Jaek-Chi

TedintheShed said:


> So guys, some observations/questions after the first few days of owning my Engl Ironball (remember, I am a bassist and this is only my second tube amp head so correct me if I am wrong):
> 
> 1) The headphone out is fantastic
> 2) I don't think I need to use a boost for a great high gain sound- when I use my TS-9DX it seems to drive it over the top and make things less clear, kind of "mushy". Does anyone use a boost/OD in front of this? If so, what are your settings?
> 3) This is not just a one trick pony- I can get all kinds of usable tones out of this amp!



For the OD, have the drive all the way down, and the level all the way up. Adjust the tone to how you like it.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

Question for Engl Invader owners...

https://soundcloud.com/guitarplayingfuntime/dragonfire-screamer-pvinvader-plugin-test-take-2

Would you say this sounds somewhat close to an Invader? I'm using an Engl Invader VST by Vadim Taranov, and it's honestly my favorite VST to use right now. If an Engl sounds or feels anything like this WITHOUT a boost, then god I want one.


----------



## Floppystrings

That sounds really good JazzHands.

I only owned a Powerball, but by the sounds of it that is pretty close. The ENGL tone already kind of sounds like it is boosted from my experience, It has that hi-fi clarity. The Powerball would definitely have more of a buzzsaw sound.

Oh and thanks for mentioning Vadim Taranov, now I have to download everything he has done.


----------



## vividox

I threw a question at ENGL this weekend, just got a response, and thought I'd share:

Me: I've got an ENGL Fireball 100W that I've loved for the better part of 7 years now. I'm looking to upgrade at some point in the future and really like everything I've heard from the Savage. However, some of the new updates (featured on the Fireball 100W and Powerball II) are lacking on the Savage (noisegate, updated look of the front, etc). I was wondering if you guys had any plans to give the Savage an update in the near future?

ENGL: thank you for your e-mail and for playing our amps! I can totally understand that you miss our latest amp features like the noise gate on the Savage 120. We already thought about updating this amp but there are a few other things that we need to work on before we can start this project. I think that we will not find enough time to work on this in 2016. But there definitely is the plan to change the Savage in the future. I hope this will help you!

So, [extremely hopeful voice] 2-3 years down the road? [/ehv]


----------



## Floppystrings

To be honest, I used a Decimator with my Powerball and it was perfect. I know they did revisions on the noise gate but ISP has come out with some neat stuff too.


----------



## sinnersmoon

I don't feel any need for a noise gate with my Invader 100 or Savage SE. The one built in the Invader is not that good anyway.


----------



## vividox

Floppystrings said:


> To be honest, I used a Decimator with my Powerball and it was perfect. I know they did revisions on the noise gate but ISP has come out with some neat stuff too.



Yeah, I mean, I would assume that an external noise gate with all its various options is probably a better noise gate than a built in version with one knob. But the built in version is ridiculously convenient, it helps conserve pedal board space, and to be fair, I don't really play a style that demands the best noise gate on the planet.

Also, I really prefer the updated look of the Fireball 100W / Powerball II / Special Edition / Invader to that of the Savage / Fireball 60W / Richie Blackmore Sig. Yes, I realize how little this matters when guitar tone is one the line.


----------



## vividox

Mostly, my wife and I are buying our first house in a few months, and after furnishing it and taking care of some of the things that came back on the inspection, I have little hope of buying a new amp in the next year or so. So I figure if I'm holding out that long anyway, might as well look forward to the Savage II.


----------



## Ulvhedin

Boink


----------



## Cobhc221

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> Question for Engl Invader owners...
> 
> https://soundcloud.com/guitarplayingfuntime/dragonfire-screamer-pvinvader-plugin-test-take-2
> 
> Would you say this sounds somewhat close to an Invader? I'm using an Engl Invader VST by Vadim Taranov, and it's honestly my favorite VST to use right now. If an Engl sounds or feels anything like this WITHOUT a boost, then god I want one.



its close but not clear enough lol


----------



## Cobhc221

vividox said:


> I threw a question at ENGL this weekend, just got a response, and thought I'd share:
> 
> Me: I've got an ENGL Fireball 100W that I've loved for the better part of 7 years now. I'm looking to upgrade at some point in the future and really like everything I've heard from the Savage. However, some of the new updates (featured on the Fireball 100W and Powerball II) are lacking on the Savage (noisegate, updated look of the front, etc). I was wondering if you guys had any plans to give the Savage an update in the near future?
> 
> ENGL: thank you for your e-mail and for playing our amps! I can totally understand that you miss our latest amp features like the noise gate on the Savage 120. We already thought about updating this amp but there are a few other things that we need to work on before we can start this project. I think that we will not find enough time to work on this in 2016. But there definitely is the plan to change the Savage in the future. I hope this will help you!
> 
> So, [extremely hopeful voice] 2-3 years down the road? [/ehv]




im actually looking forward to this


----------



## TedintheShed

So, I have a lot of small tweaking planned in order to get the fully saturated tones I have in my head. For example I am replacing my two Eminence Legend loaded Krank 1x12's with Mesa mini-rectifier cabinets and the SD distortion pick ups in my DK-7Q with Lundgren M7's. Currently I have a TS-9dx in the front of the amp and it just isn't pumping my nads. I saw a demo with an MXR 10 band eq in the effects loop and was floored. Anyone else use this? It seems like the tweek that would have the greatest immediate positive impact.

Thanks,
Ted


----------



## Joe Harvatt

Here's mine, sounds killer. Going the Kemper route now though, so this is all for sale.


----------



## vick1000

Just bought a E530 to go with my GSP1101 and Mesa 2:50. Some people online are recommending a tube swap out of the box. Does anyone know if that makes a big improvment?


----------



## Joe Harvatt

Not a world changing difference, but you will hear something. I put JJ's in mine.


----------



## vick1000

So got the E530 today. Put it in the loop of my GSP1101, and I am getting some serious whining noise with any decent amount of gain (lead gain at noon/hi gain enabled). The gate clamps on it slowly too.

The E530 has some serious physical noise too (not from the speakers), not 60hz hum either, reminds me of loose choke windings, very strange. I will have to mess with things some more, and eliminate gear to see what's what.

EDIT: OK, the E530 and 2:50 by them selves do not have the high pitched whine in the signal. There is still some preamp noise, but it's typical high gain noise, and a gate out front squashes it easily. Using the GSP in the E530 FX loop also has no added noise, but the GSP gate does squat for some reason, and of course you get no pre-preamp FX.

Considering swapping the GSP for a Pod HD Pro X, but I do love the sims on the GSP.


----------



## sinnersmoon

TedintheShed said:


> So, I have a lot of small tweaking planned in order to get the fully saturated tones I have in my head. For example I am replacing my two Eminence Legend loaded Krank 1x12's with Mesa mini-rectifier cabinets and the SD distortion pick ups in my DK-7Q with Lundgren M7's. Currently I have a TS-9dx in the front of the amp and it just isn't pumping my nads. I saw a demo with an MXR 10 band eq in the effects loop and was floored. Anyone else use this? It seems like the tweek that would have the greatest immediate positive impact.
> 
> Thanks,
> Ted



I'm using MXR 10 band eq with my ENGLs. It is a very powerful tool but I prefer to use it as a spice - I'm trying to tweak the amp as good as it gets and then fine tune the sound with MXR.
So basically I use it to get rid of some nasty high frequencies that make the sound shrill.


----------



## Carvinkook

I'm back.. Chica chica.. I'm back,.


----------



## TedintheShed

sinnersmoon said:


> I'm using MXR 10 band eq with my ENGLs. It is a very powerful tool but I prefer to use it as a spice - I'm trying to tweak the amp as good as it gets and then fine tune the sound with MXR.
> So basically I use it to get rid of some nasty high frequencies that make the sound shrill.



Thanks! It seems to allow for a "thicker" sound in the video, without adding muddiness.


----------



## optiman

My Ironball makes a clicking noise when I turn it on, like if the standby was switched on. I don't think this is normal when an amp is turned on (powered up). Any Help?


----------



## TedintheShed

optiman said:


> My Ironball makes a clicking noise when I turn it on, like if the standby was switched on. I don't think this is normal when an amp is turned on (powered up). Any Help?



Where do you hear it? In the speaker? From the head? ;when flipping on the power switch? Standby?


----------



## optiman

Hey Ted, Thanks for the quick reply. Yes Its coming from the speaker. I also can't get any clean sound out of it. After a few minutes it just starts making all kinds of noises and hisses like it's pissed at me for turning it on.
The click is the amp turning on, the noise comes out through the speaker, I have never heard any tube amp do this. My bad for not making that clear.

I need to get into the tubes but I have never done that before, looked in the manual and on the Engl site, no luck. Emailed support three days ago and still patiently waiting. If you have any tips as for doing this or suggestions they would be greatly appreciated.
Help.....


----------



## sinnersmoon

optiman said:


> Hey Ted, Thanks for the quick reply. Yes Its coming from the speaker. I also can't get any clean sound out of it. After a few minutes it just starts making all kinds of noises and hisses like it's pissed at me for turning it on.
> The click is the amp turning on, the noise comes out through the speaker, I have never heard any tube amp do this. My bad for not making that clear.
> 
> I need to get into the tubes but I have never done that before, looked in the manual and on the Engl site, no luck. Emailed support three days ago and still patiently waiting. If you have any tips as for doing this or suggestions they would be greatly appreciated.
> Help.....



It looks like faulty power tube.


----------



## angl2k

sinnersmoon said:


> I'm using MXR 10 band eq with my ENGLs. It is a very powerful tool but I prefer to use it as a spice - I'm trying to tweak the amp as good as it gets and then fine tune the sound with MXR.
> So basically I use it to get rid of some nasty high frequencies that make the sound shrill.



Can you post your MXR settings? I tried one in the loop of my Thunder but it only seems to add noise and not really shape the sound. Maybe I'm using the input gain and volume sliders wrong?


----------



## Petar Bogdanov

angl2k said:


> Can you post your MXR settings? I tried one in the loop of my Thunder but it only seems to add noise and not really shape the sound. Maybe I'm using the input gain and volume sliders wrong?



Your amp's loop might be set to parallel.


----------



## youngthrasher9

So I'm considering getting an Ironball. How do you guys think the clean channel would react to a fuzz up front? 

I'm a black/death metal player 85% of the time but when I get the urge to doom... Yeah.

My friend was concerned that it wouldn't be enough headroom, but the jump in volume to a Fireball 100 would be pretty dramatic I would think.

EDIT: I think I've settled on an E530 with a 6l6 power amp instead.


----------



## Joe Harvatt

Yo dudes. Selling my E530 if you're interested.


----------



## sinnersmoon

angl2k said:


> Can you post your MXR settings? I tried one in the loop of my Thunder but it only seems to add noise and not really shape the sound. Maybe I'm using the input gain and volume sliders wrong?


Generally speaking I do not touch Volume and Gain sliders. The settings really depend on the guitar and the pickup and the amp itself. For example with my Jackson SL1 and ESP M-II I do not need the EQ in the loop.
But if I do have it engaged (for example with other guitars) the settings are like these: 
I lower 16kHz to -5 and 8kHz to -3 as a starting point. Then for Savage SE I keep everything else flat, with Invader I used to lower 31,25Hz to -6, 62,5Hz to -3 to get rid of the boomy frequences and boost 1kHz +1 for better cut; with E520 preamp I boost 250Hz and 500Hz to somewhere between +1 and +2 to make it thicker.

So nothing drastic. Recently I tend not to use the EQ in the loop and rather keep the amp's sound as natural as possible.


----------



## sinnersmoon

youngthrasher9 said:


> My friend was concerned that it wouldn't be enough headroom, but the jump in volume to a Fireball 100 would be pretty dramatic I would think.
> 
> EDIT: I think I've settled on an E530 with a 6l6 power amp instead.


I don't know about headroom but with 2xEL84's one could doubt it. 
Anyhow I wouldn't be afraid of a volume jump if you went for Fireball 100. ENGL amps have very good master volume taper. Choose whatever suits your sonic needs better.

If you decide to go with E530, I'd suggest to pick some fat poweramp, preferably 100W. I played it through my E920/50 (with EL34) and although it sounded good, it was nowhere as thick as my 100W heads.


----------



## Zeriton

This seems to be a problem with all ENGL amps I've ever had...

My ENGL Invader has some weird popping and crackling sound all the time off-standby. I can't see anything wrong with the valves so not sure.

My ENGL Powerball did exactly the same thing...

Any ideas guys?


----------



## EG1s

I am looking to buy an Ironball if anyone is willing to sell. Thanks

Luke


----------



## Jaek-Chi

Zeriton said:


> This seems to be a problem with all ENGL amps I've ever had...
> 
> My ENGL Invader has some weird popping and crackling sound all the time off-standby. I can't see anything wrong with the valves so not sure.
> 
> My ENGL Powerball did exactly the same thing...
> 
> Any ideas guys?



If it's only happening on standby and not when you have the amp on and are playing, i wouldn't imagine its the tubes. I may be wrong, but doesn't sound like it.

I've owned both and Fireball and a Savage and i've not experienced this issue thankfully.

Best of luck with the fix mate.


----------



## sonofabias

sinnersmoon said:


> I don't know about headroom but with 2xEL84's one could doubt it.
> Anyhow I wouldn't be afraid of a volume jump if you went for Fireball 100. ENGL amps have very good master volume taper. Choose whatever suits your sonic needs better.
> 
> If you decide to go with E530, I'd suggest to pick some fat poweramp, preferably 100W. I played it through my E920/50 (with EL34) and although it sounded good, it was nowhere as thick as my 100W heads.



 Hi sinnersmoon I'm using an e920 power amp as well as an e520 pre , which I'll add to my rack very soon in addition to my GSP 1101 . I wondered about thickening up my low end as you mentioned , with an eq pedal as well as a bit more head room , I've explored the possibility of adding a 2 X 100 e920 or a Lee Jackson SP1000 in order to facilitate the increase . My current guitars in use are a ESP Horizon custom and my Ken Smith BT Custom 6 .


----------



## youngthrasher9

I played Invader II today and I loved it. Channel 4 with high gain selected especially. I like the amp, but I don't need all of those features and its waaaay out of my price range.

How does the Fireball 100 compare tonally? Obviously it doesn't have the features of the invader, but is it similar feel when you get into the high gain side of things?


----------



## Great Satan

Anybody played a Gigmaster 15 or 30?
They seemed like to me Engl's answer to the 5150 (but with that clickable power scaling on the back, which is fun).


----------



## Dionysian

I just got this ENGL Blackmore in a really great deal. The vertical 2x12 with V60's works really well. I just wish it was 10cm wider!


----------



## Zeriton

Jaek-Chi said:


> If it's only happening on standby and not when you have the amp on and are playing, i wouldn't imagine its the tubes. I may be wrong, but doesn't sound like it.
> 
> I've owned both and Fireball and a Savage and i've not experienced this issue thankfully.
> 
> Best of luck with the fix mate.



Nah it's happening when I'm playing all the time. Not happening on standby


----------



## sinnersmoon

sonofabias said:


> Hi sinnersmoon I'm using an e920 power amp as well as an e520 pre , which I'll add to my rack very soon in addition to my GSP 1101 . I wondered about thickening up my low end as you mentioned , with an eq pedal as well as a bit more head room , I've explored the possibility of adding a 2 X 100 e920 or a Lee Jackson SP1000 in order to facilitate the increase . My current guitars in use are a ESP Horizon custom and my Ken Smith BT Custom 6 .


E520 preamp is not thick as per se which is not always a bad thing. It's tight and it has good note separation even under high gain. It cuts well but one must keep highs under control (I keep preamp's presence maxed and treble usually around 9 or 10 o'clock - the sound retains the aggression but it's not harsh). EQ in the loop to bring up some lower mids works well but there are also other things I would look at.
First of all I recommend 4x12 cab. More speakers and cab's bigger volume bring thicker sound naturally. V30's work well but try K100's or mix the two. You may be pleased with the results. 
Poweramp is the second thing. I loved it through Laney VH100R's poweramp. That amp is one fat mofo and if Laney had its power section in a rack version, I'd be all over it.
Then I really liked it in the return of my Invader. It was better than through Savage SE. Savage SE has tighter poweramp (than Invader) that is compensated by broader mids of its preamp (E520 lacked some mids comparing to Savage SE's preamp). This combination results in very punchy, in-your-face sound. 
I had a possibility to A/B Mesa Boogie 395 with my handmade 60W EL34 poweramp and although Mesa sounded a bit fuller it wasn't a big difference and so I kept my poweramp. E920/50 poweramp sounds similar to my old poweramp but it has warmer, rounder sound and less presence which is good because ENGL preamp has more than enough bite. It may sound even unpleasantly piercing at high volumes that's why some highs are cut by EQ in the loop. Warmer preamp tubes help as well. Also PI tube is often overlooked but it has an impact. For example EH or JJ sounded quite sharp in that position (I prefer Sovtek 12AX7LPS). Also I preferred E920/50's volume maxed and regulate the overall output by preamp volume. It sounded better to me that way.
I would love to try ENGL E920/100 and compare it with its smaller brother.
Recently I've bought Masotti Slave 100 poweramp but I won't have a possibility to try it before Easter. I'll let you know.

Note: all my guitars are alder-bodied.


----------



## youngthrasher9

youngthrasher9 said:


> I played Invader II today and I loved it. Channel 4 with high gain selected especially. I like the amp, but I don't need all of those features and its waaaay out of my price range.
> 
> How does the Fireball 100 compare tonally? Obviously it doesn't have the features of the invader, but is it similar feel when you get into the high gain side of things?



Does anyone have experience with these two amps?


----------



## vividox

I've really been considering the dark side lately - selling my Fireball and picking up an Axe FX. All I do is record (never play live) and I can't help but think the Axe FX would be a hell of a lot less trouble insofar as cables and recording is concerned. I think I've come to the conclusion that it's not so much tube sound that I prefer, it's the sound of pushed air. And you can get that using an Axe FX and a cab just as easily as using a tube amp and a cab...

On the other hand, I could just be getting tired of my Fireball in general. I've considered upgrading to a Savage and seeing what that's like. 

Anyone wanna try talking me down from the cliff?


----------



## sonofabias

sinnersmoon said:


> E520 preamp is not thick as per se which is not always a bad thing. It's tight and it has good note separation even under high gain. It cuts well but one must keep highs under control (I keep preamp's presence maxed and treble usually around 9 or 10 o'clock - the sound retains the aggression but it's not harsh). EQ in the loop to bring up some lower mids works well but there are also other things I would look at.
> First of all I recommend 4x12 cab. More speakers and cab's bigger volume bring thicker sound naturally. V30's work well but try K100's or mix the two. You may be pleased with the results.
> Poweramp is the second thing. I loved it through Laney VH100R's poweramp. That amp is one fat mofo and if Laney had its power section in a rack version, I'd be all over it.
> Then I really liked it in the return of my Invader. It was better than through Savage SE. Savage SE has tighter poweramp (than Invader) that is compensated by broader mids of its preamp (E520 lacked some mids comparing to Savage SE's preamp). This combination results in very punchy, in-your-face sound.
> I had a possibility to A/B Mesa Boogie 395 with my handmade 60W EL34 poweramp and although Mesa sounded a bit fuller it wasn't a big difference and so I kept my poweramp. E920/50 poweramp sounds similar to my old poweramp but it has warmer, rounder sound and less presence which is good because ENGL preamp has more than enough bite. It may sound even unpleasantly piercing at high volumes that's why some highs are cut by EQ in the loop. Warmer preamp tubes help as well. Also PI tube is often overlooked but it has an impact. For example EH or JJ sounded quite sharp in that position (I prefer Sovtek 12AX7LPS). Also I preferred E920/50's volume maxed and regulate the overall output by preamp volume. It sounded better to me that way.
> I would love to try ENGL E920/100 and compare it with its smaller brother.
> Recently I've bought Masotti Slave 100 poweramp but I won't have a possibility to try it before Easter. I'll let you know.
> 
> Note: all my guitars are alder-bodied.



 Thanks for the info , ie: 920/520 . I'll have the 520 in a couple of days , from what I'm told it has NOS 12ax7 ( siemans , telefunkens ? ) I'm aware of the high volume pierce of the 520 ( I had one around for several months , years ago ) , this is the first Engl power amp I've owned so I'm looking forward to pairing the two . I've actually looked around for a 920/2X100 for the very same reason , I'm playing live' quite a bit right now as well as being in 3 bands which means I very much require the flexibility along with the extra headroom . Please do let me know about the Masotti , I listened to some great demos of their heads several months ago , so much so that I contacted them for more information on their products . I'm also looking at a Lee Jackson SP1000 2X100 power amp as a lighter alternative with massive headroom .


----------



## sonofabias

sinnersmoon said:


> E520 preamp is not thick as per se which is not always a bad thing. It's tight and it has good note separation even under high gain. It cuts well but one must keep highs under control (I keep preamp's presence maxed and treble usually around 9 or 10 o'clock - the sound retains the aggression but it's not harsh). EQ in the loop to bring up some lower mids works well but there are also other things I would look at.
> First of all I recommend 4x12 cab. More speakers and cab's bigger volume bring thicker sound naturally. V30's work well but try K100's or mix the two. You may be pleased with the results.
> Poweramp is the second thing. I loved it through Laney VH100R's poweramp. That amp is one fat mofo and if Laney had its power section in a rack version, I'd be all over it.
> Then I really liked it in the return of my Invader. It was better than through Savage SE. Savage SE has tighter poweramp (than Invader) that is compensated by broader mids of its preamp (E520 lacked some mids comparing to Savage SE's preamp). This combination results in very punchy, in-your-face sound.
> I had a possibility to A/B Mesa Boogie 395 with my handmade 60W EL34 poweramp and although Mesa sounded a bit fuller it wasn't a big difference and so I kept my poweramp. E920/50 poweramp sounds similar to my old poweramp but it has warmer, rounder sound and less presence which is good because ENGL preamp has more than enough bite. It may sound even unpleasantly piercing at high volumes that's why some highs are cut by EQ in the loop. Warmer preamp tubes help as well. Also PI tube is often overlooked but it has an impact. For example EH or JJ sounded quite sharp in that position (I prefer Sovtek 12AX7LPS). Also I preferred E920/50's volume maxed and regulate the overall output by preamp volume. It sounded better to me that way.
> I would love to try ENGL E920/100 and compare it with its smaller brother.
> Recently I've bought Masotti Slave 100 poweramp but I won't have a possibility to try it before Easter. I'll let you know.
> 
> Note: all my guitars are alder-bodied.



For my cabs I have two Engl XXL pros , both with V30's , which I'm going to mix with either K100's or Eminence Swamp Thangs . I've also had my eye on an E570 pre which is being held for me when I can afford it as well !


----------



## sinnersmoon

sonofabias said:


> For my cabs I have two Engl XXL pros , both with V30's , which I'm going to mix with either K100's or Eminence Swamp Thangs . I've also had my eye on an E570 pre which is being held for me when I can afford it as well !



Funny thing is that both Masotti poweramp and E570 popped up at roughly the same time. But I had the funds only for one of them. So I went for Masotti since it's rarer.

Somewhere in the future I'd love to have an E570 or an E580. On paper E580 has everything I want from a preamp.


----------



## sonofabias

sinnersmoon said:


> Funny thing is that both Masotti poweramp and E570 popped up at roughly the same time. But I had the funds only for one of them. So I went for Masotti since it's rarer.
> 
> Somewhere in the future I'd love to have an E570 or an E580. On paper E580 has everything I want from a preamp.



From what I've heard , the 570 is better for live' applications . According to what I've heard the 580 has a bit of a lag when switching channels and or pre sets . I'm very curious about the Masotti power amp ! Does your 520 and 920 have the midi options which were available at the time ? Both of my engls have it . The MPS as well as midi in out and through . I've never used them before , I wondered if you understand how to program either of them , Engl's very sketchy with information on discontinued gear and the guides tell you very little about programming ? I'm using a z15 for switching .


----------



## sinnersmoon

sonofabias said:


> From what I've heard , the 570 is better for live' applications . According to what I've heard the 580 has a bit of a lag when switching channels and or pre sets . I'm very curious about the Masotti power amp ! Does your 520 and 920 have the midi options which were available at the time ? Both of my engls have it . The MPS as well as midi in out and through . I've never used them before , I wondered if you understand how to program either of them , Engl's very sketchy with information on discontinued gear and the guides tell you very little about programming ? I'm using a z15 for switching .


Yes, I've read that too but I spoke with a guy who owned it and he said that he had not noticed any latency with preset switching. I'd like to see it by myself.

Neither my E520 or E920 has a MIDI. I use an external unit for it. However programming of any ENGL is very simple - choose a button, set up the channel, confirm with WRITE, choose A or B set on the poweramp, confirm with WRITE and you're good to go.
It works like that with an external unit (non-ENGL), Savage SE using Z7 MIDI interface and also with Invader that has built-in MIDI.


----------



## lewis

Joe Harvatt said:


> Yo dudes. Selling my E530 if you're interested.



yo man. If this is still available could you PM me about it?. Interested in one of these


----------



## sonofabias

sinnersmoon said:


> Yes, I've read that too but I spoke with a guy who owned it and he said that he had not noticed any latency with preset switching. I'd like to see it by myself.
> 
> Neither my E520 or E920 has a MIDI. I use an external unit for it. However programming of any ENGL is very simple - choose a button, set up the channel, confirm with WRITE, choose A or B set on the poweramp, confirm with WRITE and you're good to go.
> It works like that with an external unit (non-ENGL), Savage SE using Z7 MIDI interface and also with Invader that has built-in MIDI.


Thanks again, it's good to know about the 580, that very question about latency prevented me from picking up one last year . What kind of eq pedal are you using for your 520?


----------



## sinnersmoon

sonofabias said:


> What kind of eq pedal are you using for your 520?


I'm using 10-band MXR EQ.


----------



## sonofabias

sinnersmoon said:


> I'm using 10-band MXR EQ.



 Thanks 
Are you using any type of noise gate ?


----------



## sinnersmoon

sonofabias said:


> Thanks
> Are you using any type of noise gate ?


No, I don't feel the need to use a gate.
I used to use Hush when I had Rocktron Xpression but I didn't like how it affected the tone.
The same with the noise gate built into Invader. I don't like it.
It takes away some of the nature of the tone and leaves an artificial trace in it. In that case I prefer to have a low, natural hiss. If I'm not happy with the noise, I look for low noise tubes.
The truth is that I have never tried ISP Decimator but currently I'm happy with the level of noise, so I'm not even tempted to get one.


----------



## Joe Harvatt

lewis said:


> yo man. If this is still available could you PM me about it?. Interested in one of these



Pm'd you man.


----------



## sonofabias

sinnersmoon said:


> No, I don't feel the need to use a gate.
> I used to use Hush when I had Rocktron Xpression but I didn't like how it affected the tone.
> The same with the noise gate built into Invader. I don't like it.
> It takes away some of the nature of the tone and leaves an artificial trace in it. In that case I prefer to have a low, natural hiss. If I'm not happy with the noise, I look for low noise tubes.
> The truth is that I have never tried ISP Decimator but currently I'm happy with the level of noise, so I'm not even tempted to get one.



I have the same impression about the Invaders noise gate .


----------



## Jayd41

Invader II owner checking in.

This is by far the greatest amp I've ever owned!

There isn't a tone that this amp can't do well!


----------



## narad

Jayd41 said:


> Invader II owner checking in.
> 
> This is by far the greatest amp I've ever owned!
> 
> There isn't a tone that this amp can't do well!



I'm considering, but what's your take on the additional wizard module thinger?


----------



## Jayd41

narad said:


> I'm considering, but what's your take on the additional wizard module thinger?



It makes the amp SOOOO versatile, it really is crazy.

I can tweak every channel to sound just how I like it. 

It gives you extra gain stages to play with also. 
I would highly recommend it.


----------



## sonofabias

Jayd41 said:


> It makes the amp SOOOO versatile, it really is crazy.
> 
> I can tweak every channel to sound just how I like it.
> 
> It gives you extra gain stages to play with also.
> I would highly recommend it.



 That's pretty sick , considering how flexible the Invader v1 is ...!


----------



## sonofabias

sinnersmoon said:


> E520 preamp is not thick as per se which is not always a bad thing. It's tight and it has good note separation even under high gain. It cuts well but one must keep highs under control (I keep preamp's presence maxed and treble usually around 9 or 10 o'clock - the sound retains the aggression but it's not harsh). EQ in the loop to bring up some lower mids works well but there are also other things I would look at.
> First of all I recommend 4x12 cab. More speakers and cab's bigger volume bring thicker sound naturally. V30's work well but try K100's or mix the two. You may be pleased with the results.
> Poweramp is the second thing. I loved it through Laney VH100R's poweramp. That amp is one fat mofo and if Laney had its power section in a rack version, I'd be all over it.
> Then I really liked it in the return of my Invader. It was better than through Savage SE. Savage SE has tighter poweramp (than Invader) that is compensated by broader mids of its preamp (E520 lacked some mids comparing to Savage SE's preamp). This combination results in very punchy, in-your-face sound.
> I had a possibility to A/B Mesa Boogie 395 with my handmade 60W EL34 powera
> mp and although Mesa sounded a bit fuller it wasn't a big difference and so I kept my poweramp. E920/50 poweramp sounds similar to my old poweramp but it has warmer, rounder sound and less presence which is good because ENGL preamp has more than enough bite. It may sound even unpleasantly piercing at high volumes that's why some highs are cut by EQ in the loop. Warmer preamp tubes help as well. Also PI tube is often overlooked but it has an impact. For example EH or JJ sounded quite sharp in that position (I prefer Sovtek 12AX7LPS). Also I preferred E920/50's volume maxed and regulate the overall output by preamp volume. It sounded better to me that way.
> I would love to try ENGL E920/100 and compare it with its smaller brother.
> Recently I've bought Masotti Slave 100 poweramp but I won't have a possibility to try it before Easter. I'll let you know.
> 
> Note: all my guitars are alder-bodied.



 I'ts NGD for me ! My e520 preamp was delivered today, spent most of the afternoon tweaking it . Seems much more aggressive than what I've heard about it in the past, especially when compared to the e530 . I think pairing it with the.e920 contributes making this one very mean sounding preamp . The lead channel's very tight but still clear and in your face angry . The clean channel's crisp snd airy , if you will again much better than I expected. It's not the three dimensional crystalline clean channel of the Invader or SE but it's a very close second. The rhythm channel has something to be desired which I can't put my finge on . If I did any mods it would be particularly to this channel. If you thought modifying the 520 what would you want to have changed? I know there are mods for the 530, I had this done to my PeaveyrRockMaster preamp.


----------



## TedintheShed

Ironball Bag

So when perusing Engl's website. I was thrilled to see that a bag was offered for the Ironball. However, it seemseems pretty expensive to buy one and have it sent from Germany. I can't seem to locate any in the US. Does anyone know where one might be able to find this stateside for a reasonable price?


----------



## Joe Harvatt

TedintheShed said:


> Ironball Bag


----------



## sonofabias

TedintheShed said:


> Ironball Bag
> 
> So when perusing Engl's website. I was thrilled to see that a bag was offered for the Ironball. However, it seemseems pretty expensive to buy one and have it sent from Germany. I can't seem to locate any in the US. Does anyone know where one might be able to find this stateside for a reasonable price?



 Try Velvet distribution, they're the Engl distributor for the US or contact the main engl store in LA .


----------



## sinnersmoon

sonofabias said:


> I'ts NGD for me ! My e520 preamp was delivered today, spent most of the afternoon tweaking it . Seems much more aggressive than what I've heard about it in the past, especially when compared to the e530 . I think pairing it with the.e920 contributes making this one very mean sounding preamp . The lead channel's very tight but still clear and in your face angry . The clean channel's crisp snd airy , if you will again much better than I expected. It's not the three dimensional crystalline clean channel of the Invader or SE but it's a very close second. The rhythm channel has something to be desired which I can't put my finge on . If I did any mods it would be particularly to this channel. If you thought modifying the 520 what would you want to have changed? I know there are mods for the 530, I had this done to my PeaveyrRockMaster preamp.



Happy NGD!
Although being quite old (it was produced from 1988 till 1993 or 1994) this preamp does not sound vintage at all. It is capable of classic 80s metal with ease and beyond. It reacts well to different guitars and preamp tubes.
Rhythm channel is pretty useless because it's too bassy and loose.
I have already thought of moding it. I would clone the lead channel to replace the rhythm one and mid boost button to be active only for leads.


----------



## TedintheShed

sonofabias said:


> Try Velvet distribution, they're the Engl distributor for the US or contact the main engl store in LA .



Thanks, I'll try them.


----------



## sonofabias

sinnersmoon said:


> Happy NGD!
> Although being quite old (it was produced from 1988 till 1993 or 1994) this preamp does not sound vintage at all. It is capable of classic 80s metal with ease and beyond. It reacts well to different guitars and preamp tubes.
> Rhythm channel is pretty useless because it's too bassy and loose.
> I have already thought of moding it. I would clone the lead channel to replace the rhythm one and mid boost button to be active only for leads.



I really think it's capable of more modern metal as well , believe me we're not 80's style .  I had a major problem with the lead channel cutting in and out when I took it to rehearsal in my rack last week . It went from full output to almost nothing even while cranked , I had to switch over to the 1101 which I have to say after hearing the 520 at full volume is somewhat of a let down , At that point I was ready to stop using the 1110 because of how clear and brutal the 520 and 920 sounds with what else...that Engl distortion , such clarity , definition and depth which blew my band away and confused my singer who was thrown because everything was so clear LOL . I took it home , started to change tubes , especially V4 . Clean/rhym channels were unaffected by the problem . I went through nearly a week of testing and playing with the lead channel which worked for short periods of time before low OP no distortion happens again . I think there's probably something like a simple short somewhere because when the lead chann. works , it's full OP , then it cuts out . This is really a disappointment , I have a gig tonight and I really wanted to use it . So far know one in the area wants to even look at it for me much less mod it . My tech who worked on the Peavey for me is no longer working so I may have to send it back , I shouldn't have to pay to repair something I just bought . It's killing me because the 520 is so flexible , more so than I first thought and according to my friend , the clean's better than the 530 which has fewer options . Any suggestions ? I called Voodoo mods , they don't do it ?

That's one of the mods I considered doing , that's also one of the mods I had done to my Peavey Rockmaster pre amp , had the crunch chann. pot changed to 500k , plate voltage to 320v . Hope I can resolve this because it sounds to damn good , it was like sex with a very hot girl and then ....nothing ..........damn . I do very much appreciate your advice !


----------



## sonofabias

TedintheShed said:


> Thanks, I'll try them.



 Good luck ....!


----------



## sinnersmoon

sonofabias said:


> I really think it's capable of more modern metal as well , believe me we're not 80's style .  I had a major problem with the lead channel cutting in and out when I took it to rehearsal in my rack last week . It went from full output to almost nothing even while cranked , I had to switch over to the 1101 which I have to say after hearing the 520 at full volume is somewhat of a let down , At that point I was ready to stop using the 1110 because of how clear and brutal the 520 and 920 sounds with what else...that Engl distortion , such clarity , definition and depth which blew my band away and confused my singer who was thrown because everything was so clear LOL . I took it home , started to change tubes , especially V4 . Clean/rhym channels were unaffected by the problem . I went through nearly a week of testing and playing with the lead channel which worked for short periods of time before low OP no distortion happens again . I think there's probably something like a simple short somewhere because when the lead chann. works , it's full OP , then it cuts out . This is really a disappointment , I have a gig tonight and I really wanted to use it . So far know one in the area wants to even look at it for me much less mod it . My tech who worked on the Peavey for me is no longer working so I may have to send it back , I shouldn't have to pay to repair something I just bought . It's killing me because the 520 is so flexible , more so than I first thought and according to my friend , the clean's better than the 530 which has fewer options . Any suggestions ? I called Voodoo mods , they don't do it ?
> 
> That's one of the mods I considered doing , that's also one of the mods I had done to my Peavey Rockmaster pre amp , had the crunch chann. pot changed to 500k , plate voltage to 320v . Hope I can resolve this because it sounds to damn good , it was like sex with a very hot girl and then ....nothing ..........damn . I do very much appreciate your advice !



Bummer... I'm glad you dig it when it's working. It probably is a loose connection or some bad solder. Hard to say. I'm no technician.

Btw only first three preamp tubes have an effect on the sound. V4 is buffering the loop.
... and I prefer clean channel of E520 to E530, too.


----------



## Cobhc221

hey guys! i hope you're all doing well!


who here has heard about engl making an update to the engl Savage 120? i've heard that they plan on doing something to the amp but are very hush hush about what it will be.

deets anyone?


----------



## vividox

Cobhc221 said:


> hey guys! i hope you're all doing well!
> 
> 
> who here has heard about engl making an update to the engl Savage 120? i've heard that they plan on doing something to the amp but are very hush hush about what it will be.
> 
> deets anyone?


I sent them an e-mail about this a few months ago:


vividox said:


> I threw a question at ENGL this weekend, just got a response, and thought I'd share:
> 
> Me: I've got an ENGL Fireball 100W that I've loved for the better part of 7 years now. I'm looking to upgrade at some point in the future and really like everything I've heard from the Savage. However, some of the new updates (featured on the Fireball 100W and Powerball II) are lacking on the Savage (noisegate, updated look of the front, etc). I was wondering if you guys had any plans to give the Savage an update in the near future?
> 
> ENGL: thank you for your e-mail and for playing our amps! I can totally understand that you miss our latest amp features like the noise gate on the Savage 120. We already thought about updating this amp but there are a few other things that we need to work on before we can start this project. I think that we will not find enough time to work on this in 2016. But there definitely is the plan to change the Savage in the future. I hope this will help you!
> 
> So, [extremely hopeful voice] 2-3 years down the road? [/ehv]


----------



## angl2k

Hey guys/girls,

I've been eyeballing a Two Notes Torpedo Live for use with my Savage. But the Torpedo can only handle 100 watt RMS and the Savage is 120 watt according to Engl.

But looking at the power tubes of the Savage it has 2 6550 tubes.
So taking the plate dissipation of a 6550 which seems around 35-42 watt, shouldn't the output be around 70-82 watt? Or are my calculations wrong? Any help is appreciated!


----------



## Jayd41

So channel 2 of the Invader II can cover pretty much all the ground.

I made a video of how versatile this channel is...



The best part is... as great as this channel is... there are 3 other amazing channels on this amp!

If I could only have 1 amp the rest of my life... this would be it, no question.


----------



## Cobhc221

angl2k said:


> Hey guys/girls,
> 
> I've been eyeballing a Two Notes Torpedo Live for use with my Savage. But the Torpedo can only handle 100 watt RMS and the Savage is 120 watt according to Engl.
> 
> But looking at the power tubes of the Savage it has 2 6550 tubes.
> So taking the plate dissipation of a 6550 which seems around 35-42 watt, shouldn't the output be around 70-82 watt? Or are my calculations wrong? Any help is appreciated!



they mostly round them off at times. most savages come with KT88's


----------



## Cobhc221

Jayd41 said:


> So channel 2 of the Invader II can cover pretty much all the ground.
> 
> I made a video of how versatile this channel is...
> 
> 
> 
> The best part is... as great as this channel is... there are 3 other amazing channels on this amp!
> 
> If I could only have 1 amp the rest of my life... this would be it, no question.




even though i own an engl invader 150......i kinda want this now...


----------



## sonofabias

Cobhc221 said:


> even though i own an engl invader 150......i kinda want this now...



 I do as well , after giging with a 150 for several years I cannot help but be intrigued by the thought of how it could be more flexible . I hope Sam Ash has one locally I could try just to compare .


----------



## Cobhc221

hey guys. i just saw an Engl E580 used and im kinda interested in it. any details on it?


----------



## sonofabias

Cobhc221 said:


> hey guys. i just saw an Engl E580 used and im kinda interested in it. any details on it?



I'd go for it if it's that cheap ! JMHO


----------



## Zeriton

Got myself an EVH 5153 100W the other day (I'll get the ENGL part don't worry )

Own an ENGL Invader 100 anyway. The EVH 5153 I love the sound of. Just a very different sound/flavour is all.

The thing that surprised me the most comparing the two though was the clean channel. Everyone always hypes up the 5153's clean channel as being sparkly clean and Fenderish. Tweaking it for a few days now, I still think the Invader comes out far on top. Gives me either warm cleans, or sparkly Fender cleans with the bright engaged.

In short: still love my Invader


----------



## Cobhc221

Zeriton said:


> Got myself an EVH 5153 100W the other day (I'll get the ENGL part don't worry )
> 
> Own an ENGL Invader 100 anyway. The EVH 5153 I love the sound of. Just a very different sound/flavour is all.
> 
> The thing that surprised me the most comparing the two though was the clean channel. Everyone always hypes up the 5153's clean channel as being sparkly clean and Fenderish. Tweaking it for a few days now, I still think the Invader comes out far on top. Gives me either warm cleans, or sparkly Fender cleans with the bright engaged.
> 
> In short: still love my Invader



when i was looking for an amp to buy, the EVH was in my sights for a long time. but when i saw a used Invader 150 for a stellar price....i couldn't pass it up. everything about it trumps the EVH in every way possible.


----------



## lewis

used my ENGL E530 preamp live last night for the first time (with a Torpedo CAB) going direct to the PA.

Sounded awesome!!. Used an 8 string. This tube preamp is amazing value for money


----------



## Cobhc221

lewis said:


> used my ENGL E530 preamp live last night for the first time (with a Torpedo CAB) going direct to the PA.
> 
> Sounded awesome!!. Used an 8 string. This tube preamp is amazing value for money



i almost bought one of those for $300


----------



## sinnersmoon

Cobhc221 said:


> i almost bought one of those for $300


That was before or after you got E570?


----------



## ThePIGI King

So, I've recently became an ENGL convert, yesterday actually, while comparing plugin tones from a mesa sim and an engl sim. I'm trying to figure out the cheapest way to get a good sounding ENGL tone...A used POD HD500? I'm currently playing through an POD2.0 or my amp sims. All help appreciated!


----------



## TedintheShed

Hey guys,
I want to add MIDI switching to my ENGL Ironball. Normal switching consists of 4 functions:

clean/lead channel
Lead channel gain boost boost on/Off
Master Volume Boost on/off
Reverb on/off

These functions are paired off and controlled with a two button foot switch that is connected with a TRS 1/4" male jack. 

Now, if I am reading this right (as I have no experience with MIDI) the ENGL Z-11 MIDI switcher 1/4" input jacks are set up as TRS input as well, thus each input controls two functions listed above. I have found no other MIDI swicthers set up with 1/4" TRS inputs.

So the Z-11 isn't the easiest or cheapest thing to obtain, so I was wondering if I purchased a Voodoo Labs Control Switcher and used an insert cable to hook the 4 channels channels of the Voodoo labs switcher using the four 1/4" TS and the Ironball switching functions using two 1/4" TRS would this work to switch the functions? 

Thanks,
Ted


----------



## Joe Harvatt

Yo dudes. I've got an E530 for sale (UK). SSO thread link below.

http://www.sevenstring.org/forum/gear-sale-trade-wanted/306812-engl-e530-modern-rock-preamp.html


----------



## Cobhc221

sinnersmoon said:


> That was before or after you got E570?



after haha


----------



## Cobhc221

bump, whos tried the new metal series?


----------



## dongh1217




----------



## Critical Problem

[/URL][/IMG]



[/URL][/IMG]



[/URL][/IMG]


----------



## hodorcore

i own an engl special edition head. had it for years and i am still figuring new things out. Just sooooooo many options on that thing!


----------



## Casper777

hodorcore said:


> i own an engl special edition head. had it for years and i am still figuring new things out. Just sooooooo many options on that thing!



Same here  but that thing is so f... heavy... and loud! Don't play it anymore since I got my Kemper. But still lying around... just in case!


----------



## Korneo

My best friend got this Engl Metal Master and let me play it for a week.
It's a BEAST !!!!
I'm not an Engl guy at all, I prefer some fatter sound. 
But this amp can be fat !
It's lightweight, sound massive and the built quality is awesome. And trust me, 20 watts is enough to play ridiculousely loud.

Pics and vids :





It's just a quick test but this is the gear I use on this video :

Jackson Custom Shop - Fishman Fluence Modern + EMG 66
Seymour Duncan 805
ISP Decimator Pro Rack G
TC Electronics Flashback in the loop
Marshall MF400 : G12K100 + V30


----------



## hodorcore

Casper777 said:


> Same here  but that thing is so f... heavy... and loud! Don't play it anymore since I got my Kemper. But still lying around... just in case!



oh hey a fellow swiss-man 
yeah it is damn loud, you need to drive the amp to really get the full effect. 
i am not really sold on the digital amp stuff tho


----------



## MetalHead40

Threads been inactive for a while; thought I'd stir it up.






....ing Fireball 100 and the Savage 120 are amazing 

Love me some Engl!


----------



## Cobhc221

MetalHead40 said:


> Threads been inactive for a while; thought I'd stir it up.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> ....ing Fireball 100 and the Savage 120 are amazing
> 
> Love me some Engl!



nice man! gorgot to mention to you all that i can post your photos on Amp porn. i'll use this thread for that.


----------



## HighGain510

Cobhc221 said:


> nice man! gorgot to mention to you all that i can post your photos on Amp porn. i'll use this thread for that.



You should be sure to ask AND RECEIVE permission first before you use anyones photos, though.  Just throwing it out there, but not everyone takes other people using their photography without permission as flattery (especially on sites/social media pages where people might be making money off it ). I know I certainly do not, which is part of why I'm barely posting pics of my stuff here anymore. 



On topic for the thread, I picked up an Invader II 100 Limited Edition (the LE has the black knobs and black faceplate! ) with the Engl Sound Wizard Module a short while back, it's just as killer as the original but with some additional options on top of what the Invader 100 offered! There's so much extra going on with the module, I haven't even exercised them all but I absolutely love how the amp sounds! I had to off my AX8 and CLR to cover it, but considering how well the Invader handles a variety of tones amazingly well (especially high gain!) at low volume, I am not really too upset about not having the digital rig available anymore.  

On the Invader II, Channel 1 handles all sorts of cleans from jazzy to twangy stuff, Channel 2 does the low gain OD through 80's hair metal high gain (the high gain toggle on here helps boost things a lot, I haven't A/B'd it directly with the Invader I but it gooses the gain quite a bit more than I remember!), Channel 3 covers modern metal perfectly since it's super tight and brutal as hell and Channel 4 dishes out the saturated leads in typical Engl fashion as always!  

In a sell-off situation, I'd still have to say my PT100 is likely going to be the last amp I'd ever let go since it is basically my desert island amp, but the Engl would be the second-to-last!  The Invader II covers more ground than the PT100 for sure, but it's hard for me to deny the flavor of gain being perfect (to my ears) and the PT100 cleans sounding like the perfect Fender.  That being said, an Invader 100 has returned to my house a half-dozen times for a reason! Here's to hoping I don't let GAS get the best of me and just be smart this time and hang onto the Invader!


----------



## MetalHead40

HighGain510 said:


> You should be sure to ask AND RECEIVE permission first before you use anyones photos, though.  Just throwing it out there, but not everyone takes other people using their photography without permission as flattery (especially on sites/social media pages where people might be making money off it ). I know I certainly do not, which is part of why I'm barely posting pics of my stuff here anymore.
> 
> 
> 
> On topic for the thread, I picked up an Invader II 100 Limited Edition (the LE has the black knobs and black faceplate! ) with the Engl Sound Wizard Module a short while back, it's just as killer as the original but with some additional options on top of what the Invader 100 offered! There's so much extra going on with the module, I haven't even exercised them all but I absolutely love how the amp sounds! I had to off my AX8 and CLR to cover it, but considering how well the Invader handles a variety of tones amazingly well (especially high gain!) at low volume, I am not really too upset about not having the digital rig available anymore.
> 
> On the Invader II, Channel 1 handles all sorts of cleans from jazzy to twangy stuff, Channel 2 does the low gain OD through 80's hair metal high gain (the high gain toggle on here helps boost things a lot, I haven't A/B'd it directly with the Invader I but it gooses the gain quite a bit more than I remember!), Channel 3 covers modern metal perfectly since it's super tight and brutal as hell and Channel 4 dishes out the saturated leads in typical Engl fashion as always!
> 
> In a sell-off situation, I'd still have to say my PT100 is likely going to be the last amp I'd ever let go since it is basically my desert island amp, but the Engl would be the second-to-last!  The Invader II covers more ground than the PT100 for sure, but it's hard for me to deny the flavor of gain being perfect (to my ears) and the PT100 cleans sounding like the perfect Fender.  That being said, an Invader 100 has returned to my house a half-dozen times for a reason! Here's to hoping I don't let GAS get the best of me and just be smart this time and hang onto the Invader!





"You should be sure to ask AND RECEIVE permission first before you use anyones photos, though.  Just throwing it out there, but not everyone takes other people using their photography without permission as flattery (especially on sites/social media pages where people might be making money off it ). I know I certainly do not, which is part of why I'm barely posting pics of my stuff here anymore." 

^^^
Great point here!

Yeah, I was kinda wondering what that comment was all about. I recently have been second guessing whether to post any more sound clips for similar reasons.


----------



## shred-o-holic

Korneo said:


> My best friend got this Engl Metal Master and let me play it for a week.
> It's a BEAST !!!!
> I'm not an Engl guy at all, I prefer some fatter sound.
> But this amp can be fat !
> It's lightweight, sound massive and the built quality is awesome. And trust me, 20 watts is enough to play ridiculousely loud.
> 
> Pics and vids :
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> It's just a quick test but this is the gear I use on this video :
> 
> Jackson Custom Shop - Fishman Fluence Modern + EMG 66
> Seymour Duncan 805
> ISP Decimator Pro Rack G
> TC Electronics Flashback in the loop
> Marshall MF400 : G12K100 + V30




Sounds good man. Just scored an Ironball in a trade and very happy to own another ENGL. Owned 2 Fireball 60's, Fireball 100 and a Powerball in the past. I might actually be the most happy with the Ironball. 20 Watts of loud wicked tone and the power soak makes it a bedroom joy at 5 watts. Love it!


----------



## MetalHead40

shred-o-holic said:


> Sounds good man. Just scored an Ironball in a trade and very happy to own another ENGL. Owned 2 Fireball 60's, Fireball 100 and a Powerball in the past. I might actually be the most happy with the Ironball. 20 Watts of loud wicked tone and the power soak makes it a bedroom joy at 5 watts. Love it!



Congrats! 

The Ironball sounded awesome when I played it!

I'm still blown away every time I play my Savage 120 and FB100.


----------



## protest

HighGain510 said:


> You should be sure to ask AND RECEIVE permission first before you use anyones photos, though.  Just throwing it out there, but not everyone takes other people using their photography without permission as flattery (especially on sites/social media pages where people might be making money off it ). I know I certainly do not, which is part of why I'm barely posting pics of my stuff here anymore.



I saw someone selling their VHT on TGP and Reverb and they were using a couple of my NAD pictures from here in their ad.


----------



## Wizard of Ozz

I hate pic thieves. I've posted tons of new amp day pics over they years... and they show up in the weirdest places.

How hard is it to snap your own pic with your own camera for a for sale ad etc. or simply ask the owner for permission first?

WTF?


----------



## HighGain510

protest said:


> I saw someone selling their VHT on TGP and Reverb and they were using a couple of my NAD pictures from here in their ad.



Yet another reason I dislike this practice. Plus when it's being posted on another large forum, it's an additional avenue for people to do stuff like that. "Oh... those weren't pictures of my ACTUAL item for sale..."  *sigh*


----------



## Stooly

Just retubed my Powerball, still one of my all-time favorite amps! I've been looking for a used Savage for quite awhile but haven't been able to find one for a decent price. They all seem to be near new prices on the used market.


----------



## oracles

Stooly said:


> Just retubed my Powerball, still one of my all-time favorite amps! I've been looking for a used Savage for quite awhile but haven't been able to find one for a decent price. They all seem to be near new prices on the used market.



That may actually continue to be the case, or they'll get more expensive since they were just recently discontinued after 25yrs of production. Word from ENGL is that a new version is in R&D, hopefully they don't f*ck it up since the Savage is so widely revered as one of the best metal amps ever produced. I'd still love to get my hands on one.


----------



## Stooly

There is a Victor Smolski sig. nearby I may go check out, but the reviews on these I've seen have been mixed. I guess I'll have to go give it a listen myself... not sure what other model they are most voiced like.


----------



## Wizard of Ozz

Stooly said:


> There is a Victor Smolski sig. nearby I may go check out, but the reviews on these I've seen have been mixed. I guess I'll have to go give it a listen myself... not sure what other model they are most voiced like.



Smolski Sig is a modified Powerball II with out the bass boosts on the lead channels, and supposedly more gain. However they both sounded very similar to me. Much more alike than different. A cool amp.


----------



## shred-o-holic

MetalHead40 said:


> Congrats!
> 
> The Ironball sounded awesome when I played it!
> 
> I'm still blown away every time I play my Savage 120 and FB100.



The Savage was the very first ENGL that I tried at a music store. It blew me away. Haven't had the opportunity to try it again. Would love too


----------



## Stooly

Wizard of Ozz said:


> Smolski Sig is a modified Powerball II with out the bass boosts on the lead channels, and supposedly more gain. However they both sounded very similar to me. Much more alike than different. A cool amp.



Well, I went into Guitar Center to try out the used Smolski in a sound booth. After some tweaking, I was able to get it in the zone. The noise gate actually worked which was surprising. 
One thing I noticed was the note clarity was a little smeared and the bass hard to dial in tight. Even after a lot of knob tweaking. That may be able to be dimed in with tube swaps, who knows. I think I still prefer my Powerball v.1, but overall a pretty cool amp.
Afterward, I plugged into a 5150 block letter that they had sitting in there and I actually preferred it. Tighter low end and clearer on the notes for a fraction of the cost. 
I'll keep searching for a Savage, if I can find one for a deal, if not I may try a Peavey Invective.


----------



## dongh1217

SAVAGE120 \m/


----------



## MetalHead40

I know there are many amps out there, but of the ones I've tried/owned thus far, the Savage 120 has been unbeatable. I also have a FB100 and absolutely love it, but the Savage is MUCH tighter and has WAY more attack when plugging straight in. 

I picked up my Savage used and its a 2014 model with the larger OT which I have never compared to an older model before they tweaked, but this thing will flat out rip your face off. Its an extremely vicious sounding amp for any metal but especially death and thrash Cops some REALLY nice classic rock tones too  Very versatile amp.


I hope the new Savage is not too different from its predecessor should they actually develop/release one.


----------



## mitou

Another happy Savage owner here. Killer amps. I used to have a Diezel Herbert and quite honestly I prefer the Savage. My first amp was a Powerball and I liked that one a lot too.


----------



## Chiba666

Happy owner of a Rockmaster 20, may not be one of Engls bigger amps but its a great little amp


----------



## Stooly

Just paid for a used Savage so it should be here in a few days. I can't wait to hear this thing roar...


----------



## MetalHead40

mitou said:


> Another happy Savage owner here. Killer amps. I used to have a Diezel Herbert and quite honestly I prefer the Savage. My first amp was a Powerball and I liked that one a lot too.




I actually bought a Herbert MKI at the same time I did the Savage 120 and the Savage stayed while the Herbert left. Not that the Herbert was a bad amp, I just thought the Savage was much much tighter, more raw sounding, and every bit as versatile as the Herbert.


----------



## MetalHead40

Stooly said:


> Just paid for a used Savage so it should be here in a few days. I can't wait to hear this thing roar...






Let us know what you think. Its a brutal fuk1ng amp!


----------



## Wizard of Ozz

Stooly said:


> Just paid for a used Savage so it should be here in a few days. I can't wait to hear this thing roar...



Congrats! The Savage is a killer amp. I've been debating about picking up another recently. Really iconic tone.


----------



## TedintheShed

I love my Ironball, but want a thicker tone. Looking to go full size. If I stick with Engl should I go Invader or Savage?


----------



## oracles

TedintheShed said:


> I love my Ironball, but want a thicker tone. Looking to go full size. If I stick with Engl should I go Invader or Savage?



If all you're doing is all out high gain, Savage.

If cleans and versatility is important to you while still retaining the capability to do high gain really well, Invader.


----------



## Wizard of Ozz

TedintheShed said:


> I love my Ironball, but want a thicker tone. Looking to go full size. If I stick with Engl should I go Invader or Savage?



Special Edition. Way more modern and heavier than the Savage or Invader.


----------



## MetalHead40

Wizard of Ozz said:


> Congrats! The Savage is a killer amp. I've been debating about picking up another recently. Really iconic tone.



I'm thinking of picking another up as well, and I already have one


----------



## MetalHead40

oracles said:


> If all you're doing is all out high gain, Savage.
> 
> If cleans and versatility is important to you while still retaining the capability to do high gain really well, Invader.



I've never played an Invader (would love to give an Invader 100 a go) but the Savage is also extremely versatile IMHO. Amazing high gain for any metal period, decent cleans, and phenomenal classic rock tones on Ch 1 crunch.


----------



## blackzar84

Hi Guys,
I just got my beautiful metal monster, a Powerball first version.
I would like to control the head via footswitch but I don't really know what can be controlled via pedal and what can only be clicked from the front panel.

Now I ain't gonna pay 180 bucks for the Z5 so I was considering 2 of these stereo double switch footswitches from Thomann:

https://www.thomann.de/nl/lead_foot_fs2.htm

Each one of them would go to one of the jack inputs on the back of the head, but I am not sure of what I would be controlling actually.

Can anybody share some wisdom ?


----------



## blackzar84

blackzar84 said:


> Hi Guys,
> I just got my beautiful metal monster, a Powerball first version.
> I would like to control the head via footswitch but I don't really know what can be controlled via pedal and what can only be clicked from the front panel.
> 
> Now I ain't gonna pay 180 bucks for the Z5 so I was considering 2 of these stereo double switch footswitches from Thomann:
> 
> https://www.thomann.de/nl/lead_foot_fs2.htm
> 
> Each one of them would go to one of the jack inputs on the back of the head, but I am not sure of what I would be controlling actually.
> 
> Can anybody share some wisdom ?



By the way, how do you guys post pictures?


----------



## oracles

MetalHead40 said:


> I've never played an Invader (would love to give an Invader 100 a go) but the Savage is also extremely versatile IMHO. Amazing high gain for any metal period, decent cleans, and phenomenal classic rock tones on Ch 1 crunch.



The Savage is definitely a versatile amp, however not in the same way the Invader is. The Savage cleans are as you described "decent" but the Invader cleans are nothing short of beautiful. The Invader isn't as gained out as the Savage is, but it's definitely still capable of doing the high gain thing, just with a different flavour than the Savage. Not better or worse, just different. I love both amps, but for versatility, I'll always go Invader over Savage.


----------



## blackzar84

Hi Guys,
I just got my beautiful metal monster, a Powerball first version.
I would like to control the head via footswitch but I don't really know what can be controlled via pedal and what can only be clicked from the front panel.

Now I ain't gonna pay 180 bucks for the Z5 so I was considering 2 of these stereo double switch footswitches from Thomann:

https://www.thomann.de/nl/lead_foot_fs2.htm

Each one of them would go to one of the jack inputs on the back of the head, but I am not sure of what I would be controlling actually.

Can anybody share some wisdom ?


----------



## tender_insanity

Just got myself an e530. Like it so far!


----------



## Chiba666

blackzar84 said:


> Hi Guys,
> I just got my beautiful metal monster, a Powerball first version.
> I would like to control the head via footswitch but I don't really know what can be controlled via pedal and what can only be clicked from the front panel.
> 
> Now I ain't gonna pay 180 bucks for the Z5 so I was considering 2 of these stereo double switch footswitches from Thomann:
> 
> https://www.thomann.de/nl/lead_foot_fs2.htm
> 
> Each one of them would go to one of the jack inputs on the back of the head, but I am not sure of what I would be controlling actually.
> 
> Can anybody share some wisdom ?



Ive got a switching pedal coming from Bright onion for my Rockmaster. 2 x z4s were required at over £120. £55 for a custom build, check them out


----------



## MetalHead40

oracles said:


> The Savage is definitely a versatile amp, however not in the same way the Invader is. The Savage cleans are as you described "decent" but the Invader cleans are nothing short of beautiful. The Invader isn't as gained out as the Savage is, but it's definitely still capable of doing the high gain thing, just with a different flavour than the Savage. Not better or worse, just different. I love both amps, but for versatility, I'll always go Invader over Savage.



Your not the first I've heard say that the Invader has less gain, or I guess others have maybe referred to it as "rounder" and more open/less compressed than the Savage. I'd love to try one for sure. I've seen a few decently priced Invader 100 s recently and was very tempted, but with two Engls already I decided I'm gonna go for a totally different flavor all together on the next amp.


----------



## blackzar84

Chiba666 said:


> Ive got a switching pedal coming from Bright onion for my Rockmaster. 2 x z4s were required at over £120. £55 for a custom build, check them out



You mean these guys?

http://www.brightonion.co.uk/routing/


----------



## Chiba666

Thats them, message them with your requirements and see what they can do. Mine is a quad switch with red leds and dual outputs for the dual inputs in the back of my amp.


----------



## Krucifixtion

MetalHead40 said:


> Your not the first I've heard say that the Invader has less gain, or I guess others have maybe referred to it as "rounder" and more open/less compressed than the Savage. I'd love to try one for sure. I've seen a few decently priced Invader 100 s recently and was very tempted, but with two Engls already I decided I'm gonna go for a totally different flavor all together on the next amp.



With the high gain switch activated my Invader has more than enough gain than I would ever need. Especially if I boost with drive. You don't need to boost, but I do anyway to get a specific tone.


----------



## Wizard of Ozz

MetalHead40 said:


> Your not the first I've heard say that the Invader has less gain, or I guess others have maybe referred to it as "rounder" and more open/less compressed than the Savage. I'd love to try one for sure. I've seen a few decently priced Invader 100 s recently and was very tempted, but with two Engls already I decided I'm gonna go for a totally different flavor all together on the next amp.



I think its more the voicing of the amp. Channel 4 is a little too dark, bass, flabby, mushy (not what you expect from an Engl)... and Channel 3 is not the classic Power Metal / Death Metal tone you expect either. Better used for hard/modern rock. This is one reason Engl quickly released a second version, as well as the 150W version, and most recently the "sound wizard plug-in module" to help overcome these "issues" as well some others... which still persist. They keep trying band-aid fixes with the Invader. Same reason why you see few to zero touring metal bands using them live as compared to the Savage 120, SE, PB. Get the Special Edition... its the amp the Invader wants to be when it grows up.


----------



## MetalHead40

Krucifixtion said:


> With the high gain switch activated my Invader has more than enough gain than I would ever need. Especially if I boost with drive. You don't need to boost, but I do anyway to get a specific tone.



Good to know


----------



## MetalHead40

Wizard of Ozz said:


> I think its more the voicing of the amp. Channel 4 is a little too dark, bass, flabby, mushy (not what you expect from an Engl)... and Channel 3 is not the classic Power Metal / Death Metal tone you expect either. Better used for hard/modern rock. This is one reason Engl quickly released a second version, as well as the 150W version, and most recently the "sound wizard plug-in module" to help overcome these "issues" as well some others... which still persist. They keep trying band-aid fixes with the Invader. Same reason why you see few to zero touring metal bands using them live as compared to the Savage 120, SE, PB. Get the Special Edition... its the amp the Invader wants to be when it grows up.




I think for the next Engl, I'll just wait for the Savage II


----------



## oracles

I agree that channel 4 is definitely the weak link in the Invader, but I wouldn't say that channel 3 isn't usable for anything high gain, on the contrary I've gotten really good death metal tones from it, and a lot of dudes I know have gotten great tones as well. I think a lot of it comes down to personal preference more so than anything else, but I love my Invader for death metal.


----------



## sonofabias

Wizard of Ozz said:


> I think its more the voicing of the amp. Channel 4 is a little too dark, bass, flabby, mushy (not what you expect from an Engl)... and Channel 3 is not the classic Power Metal / Death Metal tone you expect either. Better used for hard/modern rock. This is one reason Engl quickly released a second version, as well as the 150W version, and most recently the "sound wizard plug-in module" to help overcome these "issues" as well some others... which still persist. They keep trying band-aid fixes with the Invader. Same reason why you see few to zero touring metal bands using them live as compared to the Savage 120, SE, PB. Get the Special Edition... its the amp the Invader wants to be when it grows up.


 The e640 Invader 150 came first , the 100 watt version was not released until a few years later . I had my first Invader 150 in 2006 .


----------



## MetalHead40

oracles said:


> I agree that channel 4 is definitely the weak link in the Invader, but I wouldn't say that channel 3 isn't usable for anything high gain, on the contrary I've gotten really good death metal tones from it, and a lot of dudes I know have gotten great tones as well. I think a lot of it comes down to personal preference more so than anything else, but I love my Invader for death metal.



Do you know if Kreator used the Invader on Hordes of Chaos?

Whatever they used on that album, its one of my favorite guitar tones


----------



## Wizard of Ozz

sonofabias said:


> The e640 Invader 150 came first , the 100 watt version was not released until a few years later . I had my first Invader 150 in 2006 .



... and was shortly discontinued. I'm sure they were designed at the same time, regardless of release date. It's a 4 channel Powerball amp design that pales in comparison to the SE. It's a jack of all trades, master of none. Which is why almost no one uses them compared to the other models.


----------



## Stooly

Well, I got my new to me Savage yesterday. Tighter and more immediate compared to my Powerball V.1. Played it at a gig last night and it cut through nicely. I kind of went with the eq set at halfway as a starting point and it sounded pretty good, so I left it there. I might swap some tubes to see what sounds better. Pretty stoked since I've been looking for a clean used one for some time!


----------



## MetalHead40

Stooly said:


> Well, I got my new to me Savage yesterday. Tighter and more immediate compared to my Powerball V.1. Played it at a gig last night and it cut through nicely. I kind of went with the eq set at halfway as a starting point and it sounded pretty good, so I left it there. I might swap some tubes to see what sounds better. Pretty stoked since I've been looking for a clean used one for some time!



CONGRATS! One of the greatest amps of all time  

I'll never get rid of mine, in fact, my wife has been instructed to cremate mine along with my body. 

If you haven't yet, throw and eq in the loop and prepare to be floored. I was just messing around with both my Savage and FB 100, and just for the hell of it turned off the loop. Two different worlds; night and day. I cant believe what a profound difference in tone, feel, and depth a simple eq like an MXR 10 band makes.


----------



## Wizard of Ozz

Stooly said:


> Well, I got my new to me Savage yesterday. Tighter and more immediate compared to my Powerball V.1. Played it at a gig last night and it cut through nicely. I kind of went with the eq set at halfway as a starting point and it sounded pretty good, so I left it there. I might swap some tubes to see what sounds better. Pretty stoked since I've been looking for a clean used one for some time!



Noice! Get ready to


----------



## BrianC85

Here's my baby! Unfortunately doesn't get cranked as much since I don't play out anymore.


----------



## Stooly

Anyone try KT-120 tubes in a Savage? Or any other amp for that matter? Plate dissipation of 60w and will go in any 6550/KT-88 amp. Plenty of headroom I guess, just curious on what they may sound like.


----------



## MetalHead40

Stooly said:


> Anyone try KT-120 tubes in a Savage? Or any other amp for that matter? Plate dissipation of 60w and will go in any 6550/KT-88 amp. Plenty of headroom I guess, just curious on what they may sound like.



 Never heard of em but sounds interesting. I'm not one to swap tubes too much. I've been more than happy with the stock 6550s that came in my Savage.


----------



## Stooly

MetalHead40 said:


> Never heard of em but sounds interesting. I'm not one to swap tubes too much. I've been more than happy with the stock 6550s that came in my Savage.



I sent Engl support a message on Facebook to see if they would even work, I'll let you know what they say. Mine has the stock Engl 6550s in it also , but I was just thinking down the road...


----------



## Wizard of Ozz

Stooly said:


> I sent Engl support a message on Facebook to see if they would even work, I'll let you know what they say. Mine has the stock Engl 6550s in it also , but I was just thinking down the road...



Replied on R/T too...

But I doubt you'll be able to set the bias hot enough. You can use them, but they'll be biased really cold. You may need to replace the bias resistor.


----------



## youngthrasher9

I'll be joining the ranks of this club tomorrow evening.


----------



## Stooly

Wizard of Ozz said:


> Replied on R/T too...
> 
> But I doubt you'll be able to set the bias hot enough. You can use them, but they'll be biased really cold. You may need to replace the bias resistor.



True, I can't even get the bias hot enough now. 35w/542v=.065 x .7= 45mv according to my bias meter. Maxed bias I'm getting about 32mv. Tried another set of JJ 6550s I had laying around and they were 30mv.


----------



## youngthrasher9

Ok holy .... 

Engl is the boobs


----------



## Stooly

Wizard of Ozz said:


> Replied on R/T too...
> 
> But I doubt you'll be able to set the bias hot enough. You can use them, but they'll be biased really cold. You may need to replace the bias resistor.



I finally heard back from Engl support on Facebook. Quote from them:

"Now to your question. In the Savage 120 we have 2x 6550 tubes with around 40 watt rms each which is not the same as the peek output. This is why the power of this amp is classified with 120 watt. Regarding the KT120 tubes I just talked to our technicians and unfortunately we cannot give a recommendation to use this tubes in the Savage 120. The specs of these tubes do not fit 100% to the requirements of the Savage. I hope this will help you! All the best! Martin"


----------



## Chiba666

Well my rockmaster seems to have crapped out, it takes power, tube lights are on so I'm guessing a preamp tube has blown. It looks pretty tight in there, anyone had experience of how to get into the chassis of one.


----------



## Wizard of Ozz

Stooly said:


> I finally heard back from Engl support on Facebook. Quote from them:
> 
> "Now to your question. In the Savage 120 we have 2x 6550 tubes with around 40 watt rms each which is not the same as the peek output. This is why the power of this amp is classified with 120 watt. Regarding the KT120 tubes I just talked to our technicians and unfortunately we cannot give a recommendation to use this tubes in the Savage 120. The specs of these tubes do not fit 100% to the requirements of the Savage. I hope this will help you! All the best! Martin"



Yeah... the "120" part of the Savage 120 is very misleading. Total power output is like 60-70W. Not 120W. I think it may have originally been intended for 120W with 4 6550 power tubes on paper when designed... but was cut down to 2 6550s to save on cost. You can hear the Savage 120 is not as loud as other 100W amps like a Dual Recto or 6505 for reference. Can be a good thing for recording or home use.


----------



## n4t

Your estimate of 60-70 is a bit low. Bump that up to 80-90w for the Savage.


----------



## Wizard of Ozz

n4t said:


> Your estimate of 60-70 is a bit low. Bump that up to 80-90w for the Savage.



On paper... yes. But when you've heard the amp at full tilt... I'd be surprised if it hits 80W. Theoretically it should push 90W total power output. Engl actually increased the size of the OT in 2011 to help with this volume issue.


----------



## Stooly

Of course I've never had any problem keeping up using my EVH 50w either. Plenty damn loud for any situation, except maybe for playing outdoors unmicced. Which was why I thought about putting the KT-120 tubes in to get closer to 120w. I guess I could have a resister mod done to accommodate the bias, but probably don't need it.


----------



## JoeyJoJoJrShabadoo

Hey dudes! Owner of an Invader 100 (the original model) here. I'm looking to downsize my rig, so I was wondering if you guys were in the know of an amp that has a similar sound to Ch 3 (it rips, I love it). The 6505 is an obvious choice, but that wouldn't exactly be downsizing! I'm looking for the 50 watt range, as I record using a Randall ISO412, and I don't want to blow out the single 60w speaker in there.

Does the Fireball have a similar sound? Specifically the 60 watter?


----------



## youngthrasher9

I'm absolutely loving my e530- but I can't help but wonder, what of the Engl amp lineup is the next step? Is there an amp in the lineup that is very similar?


----------



## youngthrasher9

OliOliver said:


> Hey dudes! Owner of an Invader 100 (the original model) here. I'm looking to downsize my rig, so I was wondering if you guys were in the know of an amp that has a similar sound to Ch 3 (it rips, I love it). The 6505 is an obvious choice, but that wouldn't exactly be downsizing! I'm looking for the 50 watt range, as I record using a Randall ISO412, and I don't want to blow out the single 60w speaker in there.
> 
> Does the Fireball have a similar sound? Specifically the 60 watter?



Totally secondhand info: the fireball 60 is pretty scooped compared to most anything. 

Again, I'm just reapeating info, I have zero actual experience with it.


----------



## MetalHead40

OliOliver said:


> Hey dudes! Owner of an Invader 100 (the original model) here. I'm looking to downsize my rig, so I was wondering if you guys were in the know of an amp that has a similar sound to Ch 3 (it rips, I love it). The 6505 is an obvious choice, but that wouldn't exactly be downsizing! I'm looking for the 50 watt range, as I record using a Randall ISO412, and I don't want to blow out the single 60w speaker in there.
> 
> ^^^
> We should talk! I've always wanted to give the Invader 100 a go and I have a FB100.
> 
> I'll PM you.


----------



## chopeth

New to the family


----------



## Chiba666

Very nice


----------



## wlfers

youngthrasher9 said:


> I'm absolutely loving my e530- but I can't help but wonder, what of the Engl amp lineup is the next step? Is there an amp in the lineup that is very similar?



Get the e570. Much better in my opinion, and I owned both simultaneously. Sounded less fuzzy, better attack, and midi is a plus


----------



## Wizard of Ozz

athawulf said:


> Get the e570. Much better in my opinion, and I owned both simultaneously. Sounded less fuzzy, better attack, and midi is a plus



This +100.


----------



## sinnersmoon

youngthrasher9 said:


> I'm absolutely loving my e530- but I can't help but wonder, what of the Engl amp lineup is the next step? Is there an amp in the lineup that is very similar?





athawulf said:


> Get the e570. Much better in my opinion, and I owned both simultaneously. Sounded less fuzzy, better attack, and midi is a plus



If you love E530, chances are you wouldn't be happy with E570. It depends on what you're after.
I owned E570, Invader 100 and Savage SE at the same time.
I kept the Savage SE and I have recently bought E530.

E570 is certainly more versatile with way more options than E530. But I found Lead I and Lead II to be somewhat closer to the Invader's Ch3 and Ch4 than to Savage.
I love Savage's Lead channel. Tight and focused with lots of mids.
Invader's Ch3 sound bigger, it fills the room better but it didn't have the mids I wanted. Ch4 is all about mids (great for leads) but I couldn't tame the highs at higher volumes.
I found E570 having similar issues. Lead I is tighter than Invader's Ch3 but it didn't have the mids I liked and Lead II had those shrill highs I couldn't dial out. I tried to swap the tubes and different poweramps (I liked it through Savage SE's power section the most).

I haven't spent enough time with E530 yet but I really dig Lo/Hi mids and Contour switch (I like it on). It can do some nice low gain tones, too (with my G&L single coil strat). I don't need them but they're there. I need good clean and great, tight hi gain for metal rhythm. 
Lack of MIDI is not an issue for me. It can be easily solved by an external unit.
What was better designed in E570 is the loop and preamp defeat. E530 has Send as Output which is not very fortunate. E570 has a dedicated section for the loop.
Also I like different qualities in the rhythm and the lead tone. Thus I need to use pedal(s) to fine-tune the lead tone, if I dial a good rhythm tone on E530. With E570 and its options you may find it easier to have both good rhythm and lead tone.

So if you're looking for an amp that is close to E530, look at the Savage 120 (which E530 is ultimately based on).


----------



## Cobhc221

The New Marty Friedman head looks killer guys


----------



## lewis

quickly tried my E530 into a my 2x12 for the first time the other day using the built in small poweramp. Wow

blimey I loved it. Had used it in the past going direct using IR's (Torpedo CAB) but going into a physical cabinet gives a sound that crushes any direct/IR setup.

Im 100% going to save for a poweramp now. Buy another cab, and run it into two 2x12's at the same time!!. Was godly!


----------



## ZombieLloyd

I really like my E530.


lewis said:


> quickly tried my E530 into a my 2x12 for the first time the other day using the built in small poweramp. Wow
> 
> blimey I loved it. Had used it in the past going direct using IR's (Torpedo CAB) but going into a physical cabinet gives a sound that crushes any direct/IR setup.
> 
> Im 100% going to save for a poweramp now. Buy another cab, and run it into two 2x12's at the same time!!. Was godly!



I told you it was a good idea to keep the E530. What poweramp are you planning on saving up for? If you are planning on getting a specific one.


----------



## lewis

ZombieLloyd said:


> I really like my E530.
> 
> 
> I told you it was a good idea to keep the E530. What poweramp are you planning on saving up for? If you are planning on getting a specific one.


Will be something that offers stereo.
Thinking atm Rocktron Velocity 300. 150watts per 2x12 which works out about right.

Needs to be rack mountable. If Tube poweramps werent so much money I would go with that but Im sure SS poweramps are fine.


----------



## sinnersmoon

lewis said:


> Will be something that offers stereo.
> Thinking atm Rocktron Velocity 300. 150watts per 2x12 which works out about right.
> 
> Needs to be rack mountable. If Tube poweramps werent so much money I would go with that but Im sure SS poweramps are fine.



Look for an old Mesa Boogie 50/50 poweramp. It's a solid poweramp and not too heavy on your pocket.


----------



## ZombieLloyd

lewis said:


> Will be something that offers stereo.
> Thinking atm Rocktron Velocity 300. 150watts per 2x12 which works out about right.
> 
> Needs to be rack mountable. If Tube poweramps werent so much money I would go with that but Im sure SS poweramps are fine.



Damn, the dude I bought my E530 from was also selling a Rocktron Velocity 300 for £180. Didn't you say you had a Peavey 60/60 poweramp? Or did I misunderstand?


----------



## lewis

ZombieLloyd said:


> Damn, the dude I bought my E530 from was also selling a Rocktron Velocity 300 for £180. *Didn't you say you had a Peavey 60/60 poweramp*? Or did I misunderstand?



No?. When was that? haha

Unless you are mistaking me for someone else.?


----------



## ZombieLloyd

lewis said:


> No?. When was that? haha
> 
> Unless you are mistaking me for someone else.?



Yeah, that was someone else in my Engl E530 post, sorry.


----------



## TedintheShed

Yeah, I got am Engl Pro 1x12 cab to replace my Mesa and it clicked. The amp sounds so much better with this than the recto!


----------



## lewis

Im going to be ordering two new Chinese Silver dragon preamp tubes for my E530 for extra Bite/twang and gain.
Using an 8 string that is basically drop B with a low F# and an extra high

anyone else had good experiences with these chinese preamp tubes?.


----------



## dongh1217

My Savage120 is back from service, can not stop playing this beast, holy grail of aggression and attack \m/

rock on guys


----------



## lewis

anyone have any Idea where I can order those chrome Engl knobs found on the E570 preamp?

I have the E530 and want to swap the stock black knobs out for ones mentioned.


----------



## sinnersmoon

lewis said:


> anyone have any Idea where I can order those chrome Engl knobs found on the E570 preamp?
> 
> I have the E530 and want to swap the stock black knobs out for ones mentioned.


Those chrome knobs on E570 are very hard to see. I could never see the position. Much prefer the black knobs of E530.


----------



## lewis

sinnersmoon said:


> Those chrome knobs on E570 are very hard to see. I could never see the position. Much prefer the black knobs of E530.


ah wow thanks for that heads up

So if I was going to swap them out, I would need to find different chrome knobs with obvious black markers as to where we were on the dial.

Line 6 chrome knobs are exactly the same. No indicator on the knob itself


----------



## narad

I don't think any chrome dome knobs can have obvious black markers -- it's just the nature of curved highly reflective surfaces. The E580 had the right idea, chrome knobs with leds around the knob to indicate the current positioning -- when they made the 570 it seems like they borrowed the knobs without the same necessary foresight.


----------



## lewis

narad said:


> I don't think any chrome dome knobs can have obvious black markers -- it's just the nature of curved highly reflective surfaces. The E580 had the right idea, chrome knobs with leds around the knob to indicate the current positioning -- when they made the 570 it seems like they borrowed the knobs without the same necessary foresight.


ah yeah!

Ah screw that then. Was only a passing thought.
Will keep the stock black ones.


----------



## pfizer

Man, all these ENGLs are making me salivate. 

Thought I'd ask here, instead of making a separate thread; what ENGL amp + cab would you all recommend for maximum versatility? I play mostly hard rock, thrash and metal, but I've been playing quite a bit of SRV and John Mayer, as well as the occasional djenty, prog type stuff. I'm currently using a Yamaha THR10x for a practice amp and a Boss Katana Amp Head running through a cheap, no-name cab. Both have served me quite well, but I'm looking to upgrade. 

Also looking to run a Line 6 Helix or Headrush pedalboard, just for convenience and ease of use.


----------



## narad

pfizer said:


> Man, all these ENGLs are making me salivate.
> 
> Thought I'd ask here, instead of making a separate thread; what ENGL amp + cab would you all recommend for maximum versatility? I play mostly hard rock, thrash and metal, but I've been playing quite a bit of SRV and John Mayer, as well as the occasional djenty, prog type stuff. I'm currently using a Yamaha THR10x for a practice amp and a Boss Katana Amp Head running through a cheap, no-name cab. Both have served me quite well, but I'm looking to upgrade.



If you want the more classic stuff, the Artist Edition, if modern, probably the Steve Morse model. I don't think the super feature-laden high gain models like the invader or special edition do a convincinc job of classic rock/blues tones, and naturally the powerball and fireball are no good there.


----------



## lewis

anyone know if the E810 1U poweramp is any good?

I read some reviews on Thomann and some were mentioning overheat problems due to fan location inside or something?

Would love a E530 + E810 Pre/Poweramp rack setup but its like £800 odd and I dont want to spend that much on a tube poweramp if it has design flaws leading to it breaking.

Would rather rely on SS in that instance.


----------



## sinnersmoon

narad said:


> If you want the more classic stuff, the Artist Edition, if modern, probably the Steve Morse model. I don't think the super feature-laden high gain models like the invader or special edition do a convincinc job of classic rock/blues tones, and naturally the powerball and fireball are no good there.


Invader does a very good classic rock tone.


----------



## Rawkmann

narad said:


> If you want the more classic stuff, the Artist Edition, if modern, probably the Steve Morse model. I don't think the super feature-laden high gain models like the invader or special edition do a convincinc job of classic rock/blues tones, and naturally the powerball and fireball are no good there.



I'd look at an Engl Screamer for the 'classic' sort of sound that's versatile enough for higher gain metal. IMO, it's the most underrated amp in Engl's lineup.


----------



## narad

sinnersmoon said:


> Invader does a very good classic rock tone.



I can't agree with that. If I were to compare the Invader with Diezel anything, Elmwood anything, Friedman anything, Orange rockerverb, Orange dual dark, Splawn anything, or the Engl Artist Edition, I'd say it has the least convincing classic rock tone of all of these by far. Nothing that's ever come out of an Engl Invader sounded like a passable 60-70s Marshall. Too thin and aggressively voiced, even on the crunch channel.



Rawkmann said:


> I'd look at an Engl Screamer for the 'classic' sort of sound that's versatile enough for higher gain metal. IMO, it's the most underrated amp in Engl's lineup.



Yea, I think the screamer could be good but I haven't had the chance to play one. The Artist Edition is seriously good though..it's like a JCM800 in Engl clothing.


----------



## Wizard of Ozz

narad said:


> I can't agree with that. If I were to compare the Invader with Diezel anything, Elmwood anything, Friedman anything, Orange rockerverb, Orange dual dark, Splawn anything, or the Engl Artist Edition, I'd say it has the least convincing classic rock tone of all of these by far. Nothing that's ever come out of an Engl Invader sounded like a passable 60-70s Marshall. Too thin and aggressively voiced, even on the crunch channel.
> 
> Yea, I think the screamer could be good but I haven't had the chance to play one. The Artist Edition is seriously good though..it's like a JCM800 in Engl clothing.



+1 to all of this. Engls don't excel at classic rock tones. The Artist or the Retro are the best of the pack... but I'd still recommend almost any Marshall or Bogner over them for classic rock.


----------



## Rawkmann

Wizard of Ozz said:


> +1 to all of this. Engls don't excel at classic rock tones. The Artist or the Retro are the best of the pack... but I'd still recommend almost any Marshall or Bogner over them for classic rock.



My cousin and I covered that ground pretty well with them when we were doing mainly covers:



I was using an Ironball and he used a Screamer combo for that gig. Gotta crank those mids!


----------



## Cobhc221

Wizard of Ozz said:


> +1 to all of this. Engls don't excel at classic rock tones. The Artist or the Retro are the best of the pack... but I'd still recommend almost any Marshall or Bogner over them for classic rock.




I think whats wrong is that often times when people use the Crunch channel on the invader, they aren't setting it right for rock tones. when i changed out my preamp tubes in my invader for Tung-sols, everything became usable and even the 4th channel (which i'm still working around with for solos) can be tweaked to the user's needs. 

I was able to get plexi tones from channel two by backing off the gain all the way to about 3 and just boosting the volume with the Master B volume engaged on the invader.


----------



## Wizard of Ozz

Rawkmann said:


> My cousin and I covered that ground pretty well with them when we were doing mainly covers:
> 
> 
> 
> I was using an Ironball and he used a Screamer combo for that gig. Gotta crank those mids!




Has nothing to do with mids as much as the overall voicing of the amp. A Marshall 2203 or Bogner XTC will do it far better, easier, and nail the the tone.


----------



## Wizard of Ozz

Cobhc221 said:


> I think whats wrong is that often times when people use the Crunch channel on the invader, they aren't setting it right for rock tones. when i changed out my preamp tubes in my invader for Tung-sols, everything became usable and even the 4th channel (which i'm still working around with for solos) can be tweaked to the user's needs.
> 
> I was able to get plexi tones from channel two by backing off the gain all the way to about 3 and just boosting the volume with the Master B volume engaged on the invader.



As someone who owns an original 1967 SLP... and other Marshalls... I have to disagree. Those tones aren't in the Invader. Regardless of settings or tubes. 

I love my SE EL34... and it can cover a lot of ground... but authentic plexi or classic rock tones are not it's forte. Great cleans though.


----------



## lewis

if dudes are arguing about if it can or cannot do plexi tones, just use its clean channel and buy a golden plexi pedal or something to run infront of it.
There we go, plexi tones haha

Seems abit of a non issue in this day and age. Its not like you need to go and buy a totally different, expensive amp anymore.


----------



## Rawkmann

Wizard of Ozz said:


> Has nothing to do with mids as much as the overall voicing of the amp. A Marshall 2203 or Bogner XTC will do it far better, easier, and nail the the tone.



I suppose it's just a matter of if You want to Sound EXACTLY like a classic rock record or if You want a more 'unique' classic sound. Plenty of the older rock guys do just fine with Engls including a particular guy named Ritchie Blackmore. If someone asked for an amp that could cover tons of ground and still manage to get a pretty damn good 70s or 80s rock sound I'd absolutely recommend Engl. Which I think is more along the lines of what the guy who started this conversation was wanting. Also I wouldn't bother with something like a Fireball or Powerball, but from what I've heard or personally owned the Screamer, Artist, Blackmore, Retro, even their new Rockmaster would do a great job.


----------



## narad

I often hear people say X is a versatile amp, or Y can get a good classic rock tone. It's funny because it's we're not talking in absolutes - we should be talking with respect to the competition. An amp is versatile not just because it has 3-4 channels and can do a clean/crunch/lead/metal tone, but if the tones are more diverse than say some average versatility offered by comparable amps. 

Same to be said for getting "a good tone for X" -- can you play some 60s-contemporary cover set with an Engl Invader? Absolutely. But all of your 60s-80s sounds would be a lot closer to the originals if you're using a Bogner/Diezel/Elmwood/Friedman/Soldano/Orange, and probably even the right Peavey.

I think the channel switcher Engls occupy the same sort of niche as VHT/Fryette Sig-X or Ultra-lead. They run the gamut of tones, but a Sig-X just does not sound like a convincing mid-gain classic rock Marshall. There's a just some voicing inherent in the amp that is its own thing. You can get a lot closer with the aforementioned high gain amps (or the other Engls mentioned previously)


----------



## narad

Wizard of Ozz said:


> I love my SE EL34... and it can cover a lot of ground... but authentic plexi or classic rock tones are not it's forte. Great cleans though.



Exactly how I feel. A bit closer now that I have the SE EL34 instead of the 6L6, but still way off.


----------



## lewis

narad said:


> Exactly how I feel. A bit closer now that I have the SE EL34 instead of the 6L6, but still way off.


have you tried plexi pedal into clean channel?

these are peanuts at £40 -


more extensive review - 



these sound great for the money imo


----------



## narad

lewis said:


> have you tried plexi pedal into clean channel?
> 
> these are peanuts at £40 -




I don't like the feel of most (if not all) plexi pedals, but you'd be right to think that the tone in the video is much closer to an actual Marshall than my Engl SE all dialed in for it. My Elmwoods are mostly Marshalls, and I have a Matamp that has a plexi mode, so I'm not really hurting in that regard


----------



## lewis

narad said:


> I don't like the feel of most (if not all) plexi pedals, but you'd be right to think that the tone in the video is much closer to an actual Marshall than my Engl SE all dialed in for it. My Elmwoods are mostly Marshalls, and I have a Matamp that has a plexi mode, so I'm not really hurting in that regard



that elmwood looks amazing and seems to nail that plexi sound from that vid 
The darkness riff was nostalgic and yeah tonally it nails it


----------



## narad

lewis said:


> that elmwood looks amazing and seems to nail that plexi sound from that vid
> The darkness riff was nostalgic and yeah tonally it nails it



Yea, it's voiced a bit heavier in the low mids than a Marshall, but seems EQ'able to something pretty close. I'm hoping to get mine modified by Friedman to be a bit tighter and have some optional heavy saturation.


----------



## Joe Harvatt

lewis said:


> ...Im 100% going to save for a poweramp now. Buy another cab, and run it into two 2x12's at the same time!!. Was godly!



I used to run an E530 through a Marshall 100/100 power amp. It was insane. I replaced the rig with my Kemper, so my Marshall is for sale if you're interested.

http://www.sevenstring.org/threads/marshall-el34-100-100-power-amp.305238/


----------



## lewis

Joe Harvatt said:


> I used to run an E530 through a Marshall 100/100 power amp. It was insane. I replaced the rig with my Kemper, so my Marshall is for sale if you're interested.
> 
> http://www.sevenstring.org/threads/marshall-el34-100-100-power-amp.305238/



Man I would love too but im so skint atm.
Running my Kemper until I can afford a poweramp for the ENGL so I can leave the Kemper at home. Going to be a while yet. That Marshall is siiiiick as!


----------



## youngthrasher9

I got one of the best death metal tones I've ever heard yesterday with my E530. Crappy phone clip to come.


----------



## lewis

youngthrasher9 said:


> I got one of the best death metal tones I've ever heard yesterday with my E530. Crappy phone clip to come.


cant wait to see

how are you running yours dude?


----------



## youngthrasher9

lewis said:


> cant wait to see
> 
> how are you running yours dude?


Into the power section of my 6505+, going into my monster home built 2x12. (Cab is 18.5" tall, 19.5" deep and 31.5" wide iirc)

Boosting it with my custom TS clone I had done by center street electronics set totally clean.
Here's the link: https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B4Fsn8UHnvrDeC1lY2dTZXpweFk


----------



## youngthrasher9

Fair warning, I don't have a noise gate yet, haha. There's a squeal or two in there.


----------



## Cobhc221

Has anyone shown interest in the marty sig?


----------



## lewis

youngthrasher9 said:


> Into the power section of my 6505+, going into my monster home built 2x12. (Cab is 18.5" tall, 19.5" deep and 31.5" wide iirc)
> 
> Boosting it with my custom TS clone I had done by center street electronics set totally clean.
> Here's the link: https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B4Fsn8UHnvrDeC1lY2dTZXpweFk


try swapping the tubes for silver dragon preamp tubes. Shuanguang (spelling?) they are even better for metal


----------



## JoeyJoJoJrShabadoo

EURGH. I miss my Invader. I sold it for the reason that I only ever used channel 3 and the clean occasionally. Now I miss the hell out of it. I replaced it with a 5153 and while the tone is fantastic, ENGL high gain is just more to my liking. What are peoples thoughts on the Artist Edition? I'm currently thinking about that or the Fireball. I love simplicity, while the AE is clearly versatile as hell, I do have some slight concerns that it won't do really tight high gain on a Fireball level. Whereas I'm fully aware that the Fireball has more than enough gain.

Lesse Lamert has a great clip on Youtube (it's technically the Blackmore, although I'm under the impression the're almost identical amps? Correct me if wrong) which is promising.


----------



## chopeth

^The invader must be glorious if you prefer it over the 5153. My EVH literally kills my bandmate's Powerball I.


----------



## lewis

chopeth said:


> ^The invader must be glorious if you prefer it over the 5153. My EVH literally kills my bandmate's Powerball I.


it sounds more like the "tone is subjective" argument. What type of Gain you think is better might not be someone elses choice.

I guess he prefers the gain and character of the ENGL over the EVH. He is not saying the EVH is shit or that one is better than the other, but more what suits him better.


----------



## chopeth

lewis said:


> it sounds more like the "tone is subjective" argument. What type of Gain you think is better might not be someone elses choice.
> 
> I guess he prefers the gain and character of the ENGL over the EVH. He is not saying the EVH is shit or that one is better than the other, but more what suits him better.



I wasn't talking about "tone" but about not getting lost in the mix. Again, my 5153 50w destroys my mate's Powerball I 100w if you know what I mean now.


----------



## JoeyJoJoJrShabadoo

Any owners of a Fireball 100 shed some light on the FX Loop for me? I've heard through the grapevine that the Fireball's loop has a tendency to suck tone on some units. Any truth to this? Or am I hearing the ramblings of a madman? I don't think a company as good as ENGL (in my experience at least) would ship an amp with an FX loop that sucked the tone away.


----------



## Zender

Very happy with my E530, but still on the fence about what power amp to get with it. Either the mesa 20/20 or the mesa fifty/fifty. So the basic EL84 vs 6L6 issue, with the added 1u vs 2u, and 20W vs 15/50W (it's switchable on the fifty/fifty). 

For the time being, the built-in power amp is enough, but I might want more some day 0


----------



## chassless

i might sell my Ironball this evening. i've had it for a year and a half, arguably the best amp i've owned, but i had to sell my cab and a couple of other amp heads for cash, and now it is in the closet collecting dust.

an ideal amp for me would be the Ironball but with the mid control knob focused on a slightly lower frequency range (not enough low mid growl for my liking). maybe i should think about a Fireball one day when my bank account gives me more than 2 digits?


----------



## sinnersmoon

Zender said:


> Very happy with my E530, but still on the fence about what power amp to get with it. Either the mesa 20/20 or the mesa fifty/fifty. So the basic EL84 vs 6L6 issue, with the added 1u vs 2u, and 20W vs 15/50W (it's switchable on the fifty/fifty).
> 
> For the time being, the built-in power amp is enough, but I might want more some day 0



I've always liked my E520 and E530 with high-power poweramps. ENGL preamps have lower output than e.g. Mesa Studio or Triaxis. Bigger poweramps make up for the difference. It sounds bigger and I don't have to drive the preamp too high. The sound gets too much highs that way.
I had two 50-60W poweramps - handmade Gerhat TubePower 60 and ENGL 920/50. I had to have them all the way up with preamp quite high in a band situation. Don't get me wrong. ENGL 920/50 is a lovely smooth poweramp packed with very usable features. I'd love to try its 100W brother and I wish they had a Depth pot.
Currently I use them with Masotti Slave 100 and it's a monster of an amp. It's much louder and punchier than Mesa 2:90 but the preamp tames it very nicely, so these two compliment each other very well. Currently I don't play in a band and I can comfortably use my setup in the apartment without bothering my neighbors. Oh, and I prefer 4x12's even for home use.

I haven't had a chance to try Mesa 20/20 but I played 50/50 with Triaxis and Masotti X3M preamp and it's a nice poweramp - an affordable classic with which you can't go wrong. The only con for me is that it does not have separate standby for each channel.


----------



## Stooly

Try an ENGL Savage 120. I own 2 EVH amps (50w and a Stealth 100w) and the Savage is my favorite head right now. It just has a unique grind to it and tight as hell.


----------



## beyondcosmos

I have had my Engl Ironball and Engl Pro 2x12 for nearly 3 years now and I absolutely love the versatility I get with them. I play in a metal band right now, but having shimmering cleans is equally important to me as crushing distorted tones. I also appreciate the fact that when my band and I play out, people come up to me afterwards and not only compliment our work as a band, but also my tone.

Admittedly though, I don't know off the top of my head many extreme metal artists who use Engls in their recording. I know Obscura uses them, Jeff Loomis used them for his first solo album, and I'm pretty sure Immortal (Abbath) uses them.

This being said, I know personally a few people who loved their Engl gear, but sold them and switched to Axe FX or Kemper systems. 

What recordings out there for extreme metal feature an Engl tube amp? Post a video if you can get one.


----------



## Metropolis

There is Engl amps owner's thread, but...

Dimmu Borgir - In Sorte Diaboli, Engl Savage & Special Edition, monster production and guitar tones.


Soreption - Engineering The Void, also Savage.


Beyond Creation, at least some point, is that Invader?


Gary Holt from Exodus and Slayer, it's maybe Savage again in here.


Dom R. Crey from Equilibrium and Nothgard has used Powerball, Invader, and Special Edition through the years.


Alexi Laiho from Children Of Bodom also used them before switching back to Marshall.

These came to my mind from recent years and heavier side of metal, along with Jeff Loomis of course. Even used Powerball in the studio once myself, but it was little bit too compressed for my taste. Don't know how outdated their artist page is http://englamps.de/users/


----------



## Sumsar

Both Samoth and Ihsahn used them for Emperors 2006 live at wacken. Dunno what model though.



Ihsahn also used one on his solo album 'After', think it is a Savage.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

Tempo Of the Damned was either Peavey XXX or modded/boosted Marshall. I honesty don't think Gary Holt ever recorded with an Engl. Just used live.

IIRC some Rammstein albums (I wanna say Reise Reise and Rosenrot) were recorded with an Engl Powerball/Fireball and Mesa 2ch blackface Dual Recto.

EDIT: Nevermind, Exhibit B was Engl.


----------



## Soya

As far as I know Richard has always used his ancient dual rec ( pre 200 serial?) and Paul has been the Engl guy for a good while.


----------



## MetalHead40

OliOliver said:


> Any owners of a Fireball 100 shed some light on the FX Loop for me? I've heard through the grapevine that the Fireball's loop has a tendency to suck tone on some units. Any truth to this? Or am I hearing the ramblings of a madman? I don't think a company as good as ENGL (in my experience at least) would ship an amp with an FX loop that sucked the tone away.




I owned a FB100 for several years and experienced no such thing. I only used an MXR 10 band in the loop, but it sounded absolutely phenomenal.


----------



## MetalHead40

Stooly said:


> Try an ENGL Savage 120. I own 2 EVH amps (50w and a Stealth 100w) and the Savage is my favorite head right now. It just has a unique grind to it and tight as hell.




The Savage absolutely rules! Tightest amp plugged straight in I've yet to own and that includes various other Engls, 100w and 50w 5153, KSR ARES, VHT D60 not to mention the many amps I've played on.


----------



## JoeyJoJoJrShabadoo

MetalHead40 said:


> I owned a FB100 for several years and experienced no such thing. I only used an MXR 10 band in the loop, but it sounded absolutely phenomenal.



I thought as much. You'd think if that was prevalent I'd hear it from more than one person. The deal was pretty much sealed already, but now it's certain. FB100 will be my next amp.


----------



## lewis

Still really liking my E530.
Going to be re-tubing it in the new year.

Im now officially bored of the stock ones. Want more twang/snarl so going Chinese 12ax7b

This preamp would have been absolutely amazing if it had the kind of grind knob the randall amps have or maybe active EQ just so its more responsive?.

Either way great little unit perfect for low tuned and extended range instruments.


----------



## MetalHead40

OliOliver said:


> I thought as much. You'd think if that was prevalent I'd hear it from more than one person. The deal was pretty much sealed already, but now it's certain. FB100 will be my next amp.



Enjoy it, its a beast of an amp! I'd still own mine if I didn't have a Savage also. I Couldn't justify keeping both and I just liked the Savage more.


----------



## narad

Could anyone comment on the differences between the Engl Savage, Savage Special Edition, and Special Edition? Seeing the naming transition always made me think there was some link between them, but I'm not sure. I have the SE EL-34 that's awesome...curious if it covers the same ground as the others.


----------



## Wizard of Ozz

narad said:


> Could anyone comment on the differences between the Engl Savage, Savage Special Edition, and Special Edition? Seeing the naming transition always made me think there was some link between them, but I'm not sure. I have the SE EL-34 that's awesome...curious if it covers the same ground as the others.



I've owned all 3... the difference are pretty noticeable. The Savage 120 was the big flagship amp for Engl for years. Then they decided to make some tweaks/mods to it... which resulted in the Savage Special Edition... most noticeably the 6L6GC power tubes. Then finally came the newest, and most feature laden flagship amp, the Special Edition (available with either 6L6GCs or EL34s). I greatly prefer the Savage 120 and Special Edition... not so much of a fan of the Savage SE. It just doesn't sound as god as the others. 

The main difference between the Savage 120 and SE is that the SE sounds more modern, more bass, more gain, less compressed... and way louder. The Savage 120 is actually around 65 Watts power output... not 120W as the name might imply. The SE is just a bigger, more massive, more modern sounding amp. The Savage 120 is more compressed, much tighter, but with a thinner, less bass heavy sound. The SE is is my favorite Engl... and the Savage 120 is my #2. Not a really fair comparison just based on the feature set of the SE.


----------



## MAJ Meadows SF

Well, I've been amp hunting (GASing and not making a decision) and figured I should wait for NAMM to pass. Good call:


----------



## Cobhc221

I'll be at namm guys! hmu at the KSR booth if you want to chat and talk TOANS. I'll also be at the Engl booth (obviously) and the friedman booth


----------



## MetalHead40

MAJ Meadows SF said:


> Well, I've been amp hunting (GASing and not making a decision) and figured I should wait for NAMM to pass. Good call:



Nice!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


----------



## Cobhc221

MAJ Meadows SF said:


> Well, I've been amp hunting (GASing and not making a decision) and figured I should wait for NAMM to pass. Good call:



hahaha! worth it!


----------



## JoeyJoJoJrShabadoo

Soooooo... I've had my Fireball almost 3 months now. Pure toan. But it's just died on me. Nothing but low buzzing, even with nothing at all plugged in.


----------



## Cobhc221

OliOliver said:


> Soooooo... I've had my Fireball almost 3 months now. Pure toan. But it's just died on me. Nothing but low buzzing, even with nothing at all plugged in.


Did you check your tubes? have you tried a different output?


----------



## Cobhc221

engl savage mk2 is STUPID good!


----------



## Wizard of Ozz

Cobhc221 said:


> engl savage mk2 is STUPID good!




... but they keep pushing back the release date which makes me


----------



## thrashinbatman

Wait, the damn thing still isn't out yet?  I thought for sure it was. I'm really glad I just went for the original instead of waiting on the mark II. I've owned mine for almost two years at this point.


----------



## gunch

How different is the E530 from a Savage's preamp section assuming both are running similar power sections?

Can you get away with no boost on a E530?


----------



## thrashinbatman

My understanding is that the e530 is closest to the Blackmore, which is itself a modded Savage 60. It's definitely got that Savage-type bite. It's not the same but will get you in the ballpark.

Yes, you absolutely can run the e530 without a boost. I wouldn't, but I also don't play any amp without a boost.


----------



## Wizard of Ozz

thrashinbatman said:


> Wait, the damn thing still isn't out yet?  I thought for sure it was. I'm really glad I just went for the original instead of waiting on the mark II. I've owned mine for almost two years at this point.



Yep. Not sure what the hold up is either. It's not like they are redesigning the wheel. I want to see if the changed the transformers yet again. I really like the OG Savage 120.


----------



## Boris_VTR

I really like the sound of ENGL Invader in band mix (provided that no studio magic happened here...you never know with those official live DVD/s).


----------

