# Engl Powerball or Savage 120??



## TravisMontgomery (Feb 7, 2009)

I currently have a Mark IV, and it's not really the tone I'm looking for anymore. I've really liked all of the clips of Engl's that I've heard, and these two amps sound awesome. We do a lot of syncopated rhythms and stuff in Threat Signal, so I need an amp with a really tight rhythm sound. I also play lead guitar so I need one with an awesome lead sound too. The Mark IV has both of these qualities....it's just not quite what I'm looking for. Adam, rhythm guitarist in TS, uses a 6505+ so which amp would compliment the sound of it?


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## ThrashensteiN (Feb 7, 2009)

Savage if you have the money, its like a powerball on roids


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## Shadow_6667 (Feb 7, 2009)

I just got a brand new powerball and its fucking incredible man... Cheap too


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## WarriorOfMetal (Feb 7, 2009)

ThrashensteiN said:


> Savage if you have the money, its like a powerball on roids



er....no, it's not.

i've played the powerball 5 or 6 times, and always been disappointed or unimpressed. it can sound cool sometimes when other people to use it, but i'm just not a fan of it at all, when it comes to my sound. too compressed, and not enough mids. when i tried one with the mids turned up, it just sounded bad, to my ear.

on the other hand, the first time i played a savage 120, i knew i needed one. very very tight and clear, with this awesome punch to the notes. it's much more mid-based (and thus easier to hear in a band context), and the KT88s help achieve the huge punchy tone and clarity.

one thing worth mentioning, though, is that in my old band, the other guitarist played a 6505+. i usually played my vht deliverance in that band, but near the end of the time i played with them, i used the engl a few times, and it was more difficult to tell our tones apart, since the 6505+ and savage 120 can sound similar.

i would still pick the savage over the powerball every time, though.


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## sepherus (Feb 7, 2009)

The Powerball gets swallowed whole by the 6505+, both live and in the studio. I wouldn't get it personally.

The Savage would be my pick every time out of the 2. Another good option would be the Blackmore from what I have heard of it recorded. It seems to be a bit more open sounding than the rest of the Engl family, but still quite "djenty" if you tweak it that way. Check out www.rocksolidamps.com for some clips. He tends to say what he is using to record with and any tweaks he may have done.


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## moshwitz (Feb 7, 2009)

Savage brother! It pounds on the powerball with iron fists though i am kinda partial  but seriously, get the Savage you wont be disapointed, but if you like to play loud( like there is any other way  ) you will need a good noise gate as it does not have one built in.

MOSHON
DAVE


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## WarriorOfMetal (Feb 8, 2009)

sepherus said:


> Another good option would be the Blackmore from what I have heard of it recorded. It seems to be a bit more open sounding than the rest of the Engl family, but still quite "djenty" if you tweak it that way.



Nah, that's closer to how I would describe the Invader



moshwitz said:


> ....but if you like to play loud( like there is any other way  ) you will need a good noise gate as it does not have one built in.



Well, maybe if you normally feel the need for a gate. I stand right in front of mine twice a week at band practice, and never get any uncontrolled feedback. I plug straight into my amp, and the only other thing I have hooked up to it is the MIDI switcher...no gate or anything.


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## smith10210 (Feb 8, 2009)

WarriorOfMetal said:


> er....no, it's not.
> 
> i've played the powerball 5 or 6 times, and always been disappointed or unimpressed. it can sound cool sometimes when other people to use it, but i'm just not a fan of it at all, when it comes to my sound. too compressed, and not enough mids. when i tried one with the mids turned up, it just sounded bad, to my ear.
> 
> ...



I agree owning 2 savages and a powerball the savage wins..


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## Petef2007 (Feb 8, 2009)

I'd go savage personally.

I've never really got to play one firsthand, but from what i've heard they have a nice full distortion - strikes me as being a bit like a 5150, only with more colour and dimension to it. Cleans are good too from what i hear - plenty of headroom, nice n bright, and an individual eq channel to get em how you want without altering aspects of your other tones.

Having played a powerball myself, i found myself completely underwhelmed with it - its completely different from other engls imo. As was mentioned, it'd get devoured in a mix, and if you ask me, is far overpriced for what it is.

If it was up to me, i'd go savage.


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## stuh84 (Feb 8, 2009)

I've played both the Savage and Powerball on numerous occassions. All I can say is, the Powerball doesn't even have a patch on the Savage. The Savage sounds great, really nice tone, as Ari said, full of mids, has a sort of bloom to the tone. 

The Powerball however, seems to be made to get lost in the mix. No mids, compression of the tone to the point where you could sneeze near the pickups and it would be as loud as hitting an E Major chord with a sledgehammer, just nothing in that tone that I could find myself ever wanting.


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## ToneCrafter (Feb 8, 2009)

I'll chime in on this. I too was considering a Powerball. Then I started looking at the Savage and Invader. While I was very pleased with the Invader, I have since decided to go the Savage 120 route. I think it'll get me where I want to be.


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## Panterica (Feb 9, 2009)

Savage 120
i looooooooove my Savage


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## gorsch (Feb 9, 2009)

I've been using a 5150II for years and decided to get a Powerball because when they came out all the 5150 users were switching so I picked one up as well. 


Long story short I still use the 5150II. The powerball made maybe 4 live appearences before I ditched it. Thats over a 4 month period playing 2 shows a week and practicing 2 times a week. Just was not happy and my 5150II ran circles around it. 

With tax returns coming the Savage has had my eye. My other guitarist has the Blackmore and I really like that but dont want the same amp. From what I've heard the Blackmore and Savage are voiced along the same lines. The Blackmore being a more simplified version of the Savage. Ie 2 channels, 1 eq shared. Not sure if thats true though.


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