# Engl amplification - how do the amps sound?



## Daemoniac (Oct 1, 2008)

Ive been looking through all the high gain amps i know (again... as per fucking usual lol) and trying to decide what to put my monies towards. 

Anyways, i came across ENGL again, and realised even though i know of them, and know the name, i dont really know much about them. Hence this thread. Yes, its a little lazy, yes, its possibly silly, but i was wondering if anyone who owns one would be able to let me know just what kind of sound they have? Im looking for something pretty big, and with at _least_ as much gain as my Randall VMAX.

Any tone descriptions would be appreciated too  as that is the area i am most unsure of, even if you tried it and didnt like it, let me know the _kind_ of sound it had.

Thank you muchly!


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## Scali (Oct 1, 2008)

Engl is good at very heavy, hi-gain modern metal tones (very dark, compressed and compact).
I've always considered Engl to be more suited to rhythm than lead because it's so dark and heavy.

I don't know a Randall VMAX, but in general, Engl doesn't suffer from a lack of gain 

I don't have a real Engl, but on my modeler I use an Engl Blackmore model for my metal rhythm playing.
Here are two examples where the rhythm tracks were laid down with the Blackmore model (leads are a Marshall JCM2000TSL):
http://www.soundclick.com/bands/page_songInfo.cfm?bandID=436524&songID=6033785
http://www.soundclick.com/bands/page_songInfo.cfm?bandID=436524&songID=5198947


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## El Caco (Oct 1, 2008)

I Love my E530, it's incredibly versatile and capable of some huge tones not to mention great value for what it can do. 

But I recommend you let your ears decide, you could come up with a short list of amps by spending some time at http://netmusicians.org/?section2=amp but be warned spend to much time there and you might want a Mesa 

There is plenty of ENGL clips on http://rocksolidamps.com/index.php?contain=playlist&mid=155 but IMO the clips on netmusicians are much better and more accurate.


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## Scali (Oct 1, 2008)

Here's a Dutch band with a song I quite like. It has a typical Engl tone imho, and my Engl rhythm tone is pretty close to this one:


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## petereanima (Oct 1, 2008)

you can also have an ear on our myspace page: www.myspace.com/reanima

left guitar = Engl Powerball, right guitar = Engl Savage 120

almost every Engl will have more gain than you will need ever in your life. but there are also less gainy amps as the Screamer or Thunder...

Fireball and Powerball are very compressed sounding, depends on you if you like it or not. Powerball even more compressed than the Fireball, and i found the Fireball to react more direct to my playing as the Powerball did. Also the Fireball had this very nice grrrrrrind...awesome amp imho.

The Blackmore was the most organic sounding Engl ive played so far, i really like it.


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## Nick (Oct 1, 2008)

Fireball is a great amp it just lacks diversity.

I owned one untill a week ago and it served me very well indeed. They are pretty dark sounding and if your looking for totally brutal death metal tone look no further.

ENGL amps have more gain than god, seriously.

see decrepit births new album for a good representation of engl tone. I believe Matt Sotelo uses an ENGL Invader, to good effect i might add!!!


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## Daemoniac (Oct 1, 2008)

Thanks guys, i was never sure what kind of tone they had. I shall now have a look at maybe buying one 

THanks again!! I think the fireball or powerball. If the Special Edition were less than $8000AUD, i would buy it


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## budda (Oct 1, 2008)

the thing about the Pball/Fireball is that i think most guys who own one eventually get something else, because they just get a clean tone and a brutal death metal tone - and nothing else.

if i was looking at an ENGL, i'd be eyeing up an invader, blackmore or Savage 120.


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## turmoil (Oct 1, 2008)

budda said:


> the thing about the Pball/Fireball is that i think most guys who own one eventually get something else, because they just get a clean tone and a brutal death metal tone - and nothing else.



I own a powerball and it can definitely do a lot more than just clean and 'brutal' death metal stuff. The crunch channel can handle bluesy-rock stuff with ease.

the biggest downside, IMO, of the powerball is that the clean/crunch share the same eq as do the lead 1 and lead 2 channels. If each channel could have its own gain, bass, mid, treble, and maybe contour switch it would be perfect. i think some of the higher end stuff, i.e. Invader and SE have these options. For the price, the powerball is incredible.


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## Scali (Oct 1, 2008)

I'm not sure which Engl amp it was, but I've heard an Engl with a pretty mean Marshall-like crunch channel.


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## willith (Oct 1, 2008)

Nick said:


> see decrepit births new album for a good representation of engl tone. I believe Matt Sotelo uses an ENGL Invader, to good effect i might add!!!




He uses the SE.


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## Daemoniac (Oct 1, 2008)

the powerball seems like an amazing amp... i never heard too much about them, so i may go and try one out. I want a really nice, really fucking heavy amp head to sort of complement the Randall, so i'll hav ethe slightly looser, grindier randall, with the more compressed, focused death-stortion of the second head (in this case, quite possibly an engl )


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## El Caco (Oct 1, 2008)

Don't forget it's cheaper to import. The cheapest is from the US but you would have to either change the power supply or get an external one. Alternatively you can buy from Europe like I did, while it's not as cheap as the US, the only thing you will have to change is the plug.


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## turmoil (Oct 1, 2008)

Demoniac said:


> with the more compressed, focused death-stortion of the second head (in this case, quite possibly an engl )



the powerball will do this perfectly. i highly doubt you'd be disappointed with a Powerball but if you can try it out first go for it.


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## Karl Hungus (Oct 1, 2008)

Scali said:


> I've always considered Engl to be more suited to rhythm than lead because it's so dark and heavy.



Depends on the amp really, the leads on the Invader and SE are fantastic.


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## Daemoniac (Oct 1, 2008)

how does the invader sound in general compared to the ohters?


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## Karl Hungus (Oct 1, 2008)

Demoniac said:


> how does the invader sound in general compared to the ohters?



Quite different. While the whole Powerball/Fireball range is very compressed, the Invader is a lot more open and natural sounding, way more dynamic response, and a hell of a lot more mids. It also handles lower gain sounds better than any other Engl I've played.

Definitely suits my needs a lot more than the Fireball did once I wasn't playing mostly Death Metal.


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## Daemoniac (Oct 1, 2008)

ah yep. Ok, im looking for more of a Dimmu-esque distortion at the moment  (Death Cult Armageddon era...) At least with this amp i can actually go try them!!


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## asmegin_slayer (Oct 1, 2008)

willith said:


> He uses the SE.



doesn't look like it lol


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## cosmicamnesia (Oct 1, 2008)

the powerball sounds really good for what youre looking for....it has more gain than anyone really needs but it always manages to stay tight (at least through my stuff)...lots of headroom too....im not sure how it would react to active PUPS(not sure if you use em) but definitely check one out


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## willith (Oct 1, 2008)

asmegin_slayer said:


> doesn't look like it lol




"lol" well he posts on the SMN forums and actually posted his rig- so I guess I'm gonna have to take HIS word over yours:
"My live rig: ENGL SE with 6L6's and one of my Vaders(getting ENGL cabs soon though). My Jackson DK2 and I just use a boss noise suppressor."






"
My recording rig from the last album:"







Demoniac said:


> ah yep. Ok, im looking for more of a Dimmu-esque distortion at the moment  (Death Cult Armageddon era...) At least with this amp i can actually go try them!!




I think Silenoz was using a Savage for awhile...I'm sure he's using an SE now, but I could be wrong.


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## Daemoniac (Oct 2, 2008)

Cheers man. God damn i wish those SE's werent so expensive :'(


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## All_¥our_Bass (Oct 2, 2008)

Necrophagist uses ENGLs, 'nuff said.


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## Daemoniac (Oct 2, 2008)

im massively pining for an Engl now lol


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## stux (Oct 2, 2008)

I think the best way to describe a Powerball is probably "Djent d d d d djent jent djent"


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## Daemoniac (Oct 2, 2008)

Hahaha, rad as.

I gotta admit though, im getting (i didnt realise until the other day) a raelly Meshuggah-like sound out of my Randall :s I say Meshuggah, but i am mainly talking obZen.. its cool though. Same high pitched/heavy/grindy sound.


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## asmegin_slayer (Oct 2, 2008)

willith said:


> "lol" well he posts on the SMN forums and actually posted his rig- so I guess I'm gonna have to take HIS word over yours:
> "My live rig: ENGL SE with 6L6's and one of my Vaders(getting ENGL cabs soon though). My Jackson DK2 and I just use a boss noise suppressor."
> 
> 
> I think Silenoz was using a Savage for awhile...I'm sure he's using an SE now, but I could be wrong.



Ahhh, I apologize then good sir... Thanks for showing the pics, awesome rig he has.


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## neoclassical (Oct 2, 2008)

I love my FB's clean and rhythm tones, but leads leave a bit to be desired at this point. Everyone who hears the amp is very impressed with it.

Adam


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