# ENGL: Invader or Savage?



## migreeni (Oct 2, 2008)

I know, another ENGL-thread. Sorry about that.

So. I got GAS for ENGL. Serious GAS. How do these two amps compare? I've beenn wanting the Invader so long but I hear good things about the Savage as well. 

Pros? Cons? Other descriptions? The floor is yours.


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## DanD (Oct 2, 2008)

Off topic, but what is GAS?


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## stuh84 (Oct 2, 2008)

Gear Acquisition Syndrome


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## Karl Hungus (Oct 2, 2008)

The Savage is one I've had no experience with, so I can't really advise you on the pros and cons of one against the other. But I will say that the Invader is an absolutely terrific amp, it's about as versatile as you could possibly want, and I love it.


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## Apex1rg7x (Oct 2, 2008)

From everything i read and hear id say the Invader100 is the ENGL to own. I think the Savage has more of a dry gain sound to it but the Invader from everything i heard is fucking awesome.


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## willith (Oct 3, 2008)

I went through this same thing over the summer...took me forever to figure out whether I wanted an Invader or a Savage. I listened to a lot of clips on youtube and listened to some bands that recorded with each amp.

Ultimately I went with the Savage. I'd be lying if I said this video didn't have a profound impact on my decision: 

I'm not even really a Darkane fan....but I use the exact settings they have their Savage set too- and I have no regrets about the decision I made.


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## jerm (Oct 4, 2008)

For the Savage listen to Evergrey's new album Torn. 


Its ballsy as hell with plenty of clarity. They ran the Savage through the poweramp of a 5150.


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## ToneCrafter (Jan 25, 2009)

First off, let me apologize for bringing back a thread this old, but I had to. 

I've recently been interested in the Savage. Those videos definitely are helping me decide to get one!


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## WarriorOfMetal (Jan 25, 2009)

I've got a couple Savage clips here:

netmusicians.org - the guitar gear mp3 database
netmusicians.org - the guitar gear mp3 database

The Invader is pretty cool, but I've only ever tried the 150, and that was almost 2 years ago now...the one thing about it that really stuck out as something I liked better than my Savage 120 was the clean channel.


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## ToneCrafter (Jan 25, 2009)

WarriorOfMetal said:


> I've got a couple Savage clips here:
> 
> netmusicians.org - the guitar gear mp3 database
> netmusicians.org - the guitar gear mp3 database
> ...



Very cool! Thanks for sharing.


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## sakeido (Jan 25, 2009)

when I was looking for a new amp it came down to a Savage or an Invader.. I loved em both. The Savage reminded me more of a Mark IV. Really ballsy, compressed sound, but it was incredibly aggressive and tight. The Invader was more my bag. But I still want a Savage


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## ToneCrafter (Jan 25, 2009)

sakeido said:


> when I was looking for a new amp it came down to a Savage or an Invader.. I loved em both. The Savage reminded me more of a Mark IV. Really ballsy, compressed sound, but it was incredibly aggressive and tight. The Invader was more my bag. But I still want a Savage



That seems pretty accurate of the Savage. How would you compare the Invader to it? I actually have been considering the Invader too, but man.....it's quite a bit more money. lol


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## Scoop_89 (Jan 25, 2009)

Hammerfall has always been my heroes and there choice of amp has always been the savage. I love the sound they are getting from it and that is my next amp I believe.

Here's when they had the member setup that I liked the best. And I thought you guys needed some swedish as well
YouTube - HammerFall!

It's not their song, it's the big guy who made it and they are doing their thing.....


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## WarriorOfMetal (Jan 25, 2009)

sakeido said:


> The Savage reminded me more of a Mark IV.



funny you should mention that...the first time i tried a Savage 120 was when i was at this guy's place, trying to pick which of his amps to borrow for a show where i wasn't able to use my own rig, and after the Savage 120, my next choice would have been the Mark IV...and if for some reason i hadn't been able to find or afford the Savage when i was looking to buy one, i would have considered the Mark IV as a possibility.


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## sakeido (Jan 25, 2009)

ToneCrafter said:


> That seems pretty accurate of the Savage. How would you compare the Invader to it? I actually have been considering the Invader too, but man.....it's quite a bit more money. lol



The Invader is to the Savage what a Dual Rectifier is to a Mark IV pretty much  

The Invader is a lot different. It has the unique Engl sharp pick attack blended with more natural highs and lows more like you would expect from a Recto. It has a lot of upper mids, not so present in the lower mids I find, but it gives the amp an incredibly awesome and unique voice. Then it has channel two, which is a squishier but still awesome ripping high gain or crunch channel, then the clean that could also be a pushed blues sound or crunch, and then the leads on channel 4 are to fucking die for, and its all midi switchable so you could toggle between crunch and high gain on the same channel, or bright on and off... the Invader has features coming out of its ass and so many awesome, usable sounds. To tighten it up some more I use a BBE Green Screamer so I can back off on that gain and it gives me this crazy semi-dry, punchy, harmonically complex sound that I couldn't get out my old Mark IV, Dual Rec or Stiletto Deuce. It fucking rules. 

The Savage still had a few different channels but unlike the Invader where every channel was really distinct from the others, the Savage channels just kind of seemed like different degrees of the same rhythm sound. So it went clean - less gain - lots of gain always with the same flavor. Still some very awesome tones to be had from it though, it just doesn't cover the spectrum like the Invader does (to be fair, there are very few amps that can). 

In the end a lot of it depends on what kind of flavor you want, really. Both of them are kick ass amps with awesome features and tones. It just all hinges on what exactly you want for yourself.. I'd really recommend playing them both if at all possible.


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## ToneCrafter (Jan 25, 2009)

sakeido said:


> The Invader is to the Savage what a Dual Rectifier is to a Mark IV pretty much
> 
> The Invader is a lot different. It has the unique Engl sharp pick attack blended with more natural highs and lows more like you would expect from a Recto. It has a lot of upper mids, not so present in the lower mids I find, but it gives the amp an incredibly awesome and unique voice. Then it has channel two, which is a squishier but still awesome ripping high gain or crunch channel, then the clean that could also be a pushed blues sound or crunch, and then the leads on channel 4 are to fucking die for, and its all midi switchable so you could toggle between crunch and high gain on the same channel, or bright on and off... the Invader has features coming out of its ass and so many awesome, usable sounds. To tighten it up some more I use a BBE Green Screamer so I can back off on that gain and it gives me this crazy semi-dry, punchy, harmonically complex sound that I couldn't get out my old Mark IV, Dual Rec or Stiletto Deuce. It fucking rules.
> 
> ...



Thanks for the info. I definitely do plan on trying them both first. Judging by what you've said though, the Invader is probably the amp for me. That's how it always works.....if it costs more it will inevitably be the option I "need". lol From the videos I've seen....both amps are just freaking monsters.


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## Panterica (Jan 26, 2009)

dude! that darkane vid! that savage looks just like mine, all taped up n shit, mine still has all the knobs though lol

i luv my savage to hell and back!!!! i've played so many shows with that damn thing and it has never failed me, that thing is the perfect amp...then came the SE  i still got mine as a testament. plus if i sold it i'd only get like 1K since its all tore up from the road. still sounds killer. 

bottom either choice you can't go wrong.
the Invader has ALOT of mids!!!! but if you dig it, then roll with it, i don't so i rock the savage and SE (i keep mids from 3-6 at _most_) the presence is fun to fuck with. black metal cult with one setting, swipe it a tad and your playing cannibal corpse, then to djent mania. i love the savage 120


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## Scoop_89 (Jan 26, 2009)

If you've ever seen the movie "Wayne's World" with Mike Myers then just lift your head and say "It will be mine, oh yes....... it will be mine"


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## m3ta1head (Jan 26, 2009)

willith said:


>




Hahaha that video was awesome. The joke about the behringer cab  

The tone ruled, too. So did the riffs.


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## ToneCrafter (Jan 27, 2009)

Panterica said:


> dude! that darkane vid! that savage looks just like mine, all taped up n shit, mine still has all the knobs though lol
> 
> i luv my savage to hell and back!!!! i've played so many shows with that damn thing and it has never failed me, that thing is the perfect amp...then came the SE  i still got mine as a testament. plus if i sold it i'd only get like 1K since its all tore up from the road. still sounds killer.
> 
> ...



I'm really just going to have to sit down and compare the two then. I too cut my mids considerably.


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## stuh84 (Jan 27, 2009)

If you cut your mids, you'll be fighting a losing battle with the Invader, unless you use Channel 3 (which you can get with just about any Engl anyway, so no point buying the Invader). Channel 2 has the ability to cut through walls, never mind mixes.


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## TMM (Jan 27, 2009)

From my experience, the Invader is more versatile, and overall has a little smoother, more liquid tone. The Savage has less options (though still plenty compared with most amps), and has a more dry, edgy tone. I personally liked the Savage a lot better, but they're both nice amps.


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