# ENGL Fireball Arrived!



## zimbloth (Sep 4, 2006)

And boy is she a beaut! (RIP Irwin ).

Sounded *amazing *for the brief time I tried it out, true test will be tonight at rehearsals. For now enjoy a few pics of this beast!


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## streathervsgodzilla (Sep 4, 2006)

damn thats nice , hope it sounds as awesome as it looks 

nice cat too  lol


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## InTheRavensName (Sep 4, 2006)

wow shitters...you lucky chap


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## metalfiend666 (Sep 4, 2006)

So if I'm looking at this right the only difference between the channel's sounds is the volume setting?

Nice amp though.


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## noodles (Sep 4, 2006)

I didn't think that Krank would last long.


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## zimbloth (Sep 4, 2006)

Yeah more or less the PBall but with less modes. All I cared about was the lead channel, but it has awesome cleans too, it's footswitchable. Just 2 chan instead of 4, but a shared EQ.

My cat loves jumping in boxes for some reason.


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## D-EJ915 (Sep 4, 2006)

dude don't keep your pussy all boxed up, let it breath the fresh air!


Anyway, that looks like a sick amp...and if broderick likes them then...well you know what...lol.


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## Karl Hungus (Sep 4, 2006)

Awesome stuff man, I can't wait to hear some more indepth thoughts about it from you.  



metalfiend666 said:


> So if I'm looking at this right the only difference between the channel's sounds is the volume setting?



No, one channel is clean, one is high gain. The volume's are footswitchable, so you can set up a solo boost. Handy.


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## metalfiend666 (Sep 4, 2006)

Cool. I must admit I'm starting to wonder about getting the E530 preamp. Any idea how it sounds compared the the Fireball/Powerball? The clips for it don't work on the Engl site.


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## zimbloth (Sep 4, 2006)

Hah my cat has plenty of air to breath, the lid isn't closed. He does this everytime i get a new box for something. He'll sit there for an hour or 2 then move on 

Can't wait to fire this up! Hopefully in 2 hrs or so.


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## Jason (Sep 4, 2006)

_This_ I need to come try out nick..


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## zimbloth (Sep 4, 2006)

hah sure


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## Karl Hungus (Sep 4, 2006)

metalfiend666 said:


> Cool. I must admit I'm starting to wonder about getting the E530 preamp. Any idea how it sounds compared the the Fireball/Powerball? The clips for it don't work on the Engl site.



Yeah, Engl doesn't really have any soundclips. You can check 'em out here, there's a few E530 clips.


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## Jason (Sep 4, 2006)

This is one of the few amps I have considered buying.


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## Karl Hungus (Sep 4, 2006)

.jason. said:


> This is one of the few amps I have considered buying.



You should give 'em a go. I'd never heard of them before, and a friend of mine said to me that I should really check 'em out. So I did. I was sold instantly, so now I'm here with my dream rig, and it's perfect. 

One thing I really like about Engl is the fact that they've built an amazing reputation for themselves on word of mouth alone. I've never seen any ads for them in magazines, or product placement in cartoons, it's all word of mouth.


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## Jason (Sep 4, 2006)

to bad the clips off that site are dbl tracked and eq'd and stuff


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## Karl Hungus (Sep 4, 2006)

.jason. said:


> to bad the clips off that site are dbl tracked and eq'd and stuff



Honestly, I think they're very accurate clips. This fireball one for example sounds pretty much the same as it does for me here.


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## zimbloth (Sep 4, 2006)

Yeah its too bad those are low quality mp3s though. Honestly I never think ANY clips of ANY amp sound good online. Really just recorded in the mix with a band and 'live' is all I'm concerned with.


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## bulb (Sep 4, 2006)

hey zim, im pretty sure you will love it as it sounds just like the powerball from what i have heard!
Cant wait to see what you think of it!


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## zimbloth (Sep 4, 2006)

Sweet, thanks.. I'll post some thoughts when I get home late tonight.


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## Karl Hungus (Sep 4, 2006)

Well, it's better than the results I got when I tried to record my Fireball. 

It's the "Shred" sample on my myspace page if anyone's interested btw.


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## zimbloth (Sep 4, 2006)

Yeah, mic'ing amps is a science, I haven't had good success doing it yet either. I have some new things I want to try that I've picked up from some experts tho.


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## Karl Hungus (Sep 4, 2006)

bulb said:


> hey zim, im pretty sure you will love it as it sounds just like the powerball from what i have heard!
> Cant wait to see what you think of it!



To be honest, it sounds a bit different to the Powerball. I played 'em back to back last year, and to my ears the Fireball had a bit more gain, a more raw voicing and it was a little darker.


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## zimbloth (Sep 4, 2006)

It looks like my Fireball has "ENGL 6L6" tubes in it. Are those any good? I was planning on getting JJs anyways but I'll see how it sounds first. Can't spot what 12ax7s are in it, theres a back cover on there. Btw I still cant believe I paid $899 new for this thing.


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## Karl Hungus (Sep 4, 2006)

zimbloth said:


> It looks like my Fireball has "ENGL 6L6" tubes in it. Are those any good? I was planning on getting JJs anyways but I'll see how it sounds first. Can't spot what 12ax7s are in it, theres a back cover on there. Btw I still cant believe I paid $899 new for this thing.



That's a damn good price alright.

The Engl tubes are damn good. I haven't even had an itch to change them it sounds so perfect. I would like to experiment and see would a Tung Sol and JJ's make much of a difference though, but not untill the tubes really need a change.

I do know a guy who's had great results with JJs in his Engl Thunder50 combo.

Anyway, like everyone else, I'm dying to know what the verdict is once you've had a good run with your new baby.


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## Jason (Sep 4, 2006)

howd ya do that nick?


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## zimbloth (Sep 4, 2006)

I dunno, I have a knack for finding good deals. Do you realize I paid $750 for my TriAxis and $300 for my 2:90? Then sold both for $2200? I'm just lucky and persistent I guess. 

The cool thing is it was the only Fireball on eBay and it was in Boston. I did have to pay sales tax, but not shipping and he took off $25. I ended up paying $875 + tax, came out to like $918 total or something. Not bad. Especially since I sold my Krank for $1225 and I hate that thing


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## Karl Hungus (Sep 4, 2006)

zimbloth said:


> I dunno, I have a knack for finding good deals. Do you realize I paid $750 for my TriAxis and $300 for my 2:90? Then sold both for $2200? I'm just lucky and persistent I guess.
> 
> The cool thing is it was the only Fireball on eBay and it was in Boston. I did have to pay sales tax, but not shipping and he took off $25. I ended up paying $875 + tax, came out to like $918 total or something. Not bad. Especially since I sold my Krank for $1225 and I hate that thing



My god that's some good bargains! Are you Jewish by any chance?


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## Jason (Sep 4, 2006)

zimbloth said:


> I dunno, I have a knack for finding good deals. Do you realize I paid $750 for my TriAxis and $300 for my 2:90? Then sold both for $2200? I'm just lucky and persistent I guess.
> 
> The cool thing is it was the only Fireball on eBay and it was in Boston. I did have to pay sales tax, but not shipping and he took off $25. I ended up paying $875 + tax, came out to like $918 total or something. Not bad. Especially since I sold my Krank for $1225 and I hate that thing



no dude where one in the same cept i sometimes find better deals..


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## zimbloth (Sep 4, 2006)

Karl Hungus said:


> My god that's some good bargains! Are you Jewish by any chance?



lol, maaaybe. But seriously, i just scour craigslist for folks who are looking to give shit away. the guy who sold his triaxis has 2 of them, so he wasnt that concerned with making a killing off it, he just wanted to make a quick buck. $299 2:90 came out because GC had one used for that, was beat up and all that (amazing deal still), i put it on layaway and they sold it to someone else while i had it on layaway. I complained and they got me a new one for the same price hah.


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## Shannon (Sep 4, 2006)

Man, after hearing the sound samples from Rock Solid Amps, I'm jonesing for the E570 preamp.


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## Karl Hungus (Sep 4, 2006)

zimbloth said:


> lol, maaaybe. But seriously, i just scour craigslist for folks who are looking to give shit away. the guy who sold his triaxis has 2 of them, so he wasnt that concerned with making a killing off it, he just wanted to make a quick buck. $299 2:90 came out because GC had one used for that, was beat up and all that (amazing deal still), i put it on layaway and they sold it to someone else while i had it on layaway. I complained and they got me a new one for the same price hah.



Oh yeah, I remember reading a thread you posted about that 2:90.

I wish I could find gear that cheap. Over here in Europe a new Triaxis would be e2699 which is about $3500. A little bit more than you payed for yours, eh?

The Pod XT Live I just bought would work out around $600, and that's the cheapest I could find it locally.



Shannon said:


> Man, after hearing the sound samples from Rock Solid Amps, I'm jonesing for the E570 preamp.



Ah man, give it another week at least before you change rigs again.


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## zimbloth (Sep 4, 2006)

Yeah, they cost $1699.99 new I here I think. Finding one mint for $750 was very lucky.

Shannon: Go for it, I havent checked out those clips yet but everything Ive heard from ENGL so far has been sweet.

What are Celestion v60s? http://rocksolidamps.com/description.php?II=35&UID=2006090419354424.63.200.120


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## Karl Hungus (Sep 4, 2006)

zimbloth said:


> What are Celestion v60s? http://rocksolidamps.com/description.php?II=35&UID=2006090419354424.63.200.120



They're cheaper budget speakers that Celestion make. They sound really scooped. Avoid.


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## eaeolian (Sep 4, 2006)

Karl Hungus said:


> To be honest, it sounds a bit different to the Powerball. I played 'em back to back last year, and to my ears the Fireball had a bit more gain, a more raw voicing and it was a little darker.



Having heard both, I'd agree - the Fireball was definitely "rawer", kinda like the nastiest Marshall tone you've ever heard, whereas the Powerball is a "modern" sounding amp - tighter and more in Mesa territory, if that makes any sense.


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## Karl Hungus (Sep 4, 2006)

eaeolian said:


> Having heard both, I'd agree - the Fireball was definitely "rawer", kinda like the nastiest Marshall tone you've ever heard, whereas the Powerball is a "modern" sounding amp - tighter and more in Mesa territory, if that makes any sense.



Hmm, I wouldn't make any comparisons with Marshall. I'd say both 'balls are in Mesa territory, just that the Fireball has more 'Bite' to it. I'd far sooner make comparisons with a Recto or 5150, it's that kinda ball park.


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## Elysian (Sep 4, 2006)

i hope you keep this one nick, you've got the amp i'm lusting after


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## Nick1 (Sep 4, 2006)

There is an ENGL dealer abour 1 hour from me. He has a ton from the ENGL line. I actually bought the E530 preamp but sold it within 6 months. It had the best lead tone ever! But wasnt gainy enough for my metal needs. I need to go back and try out the other amps this time.


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## 7slinger (Sep 4, 2006)

nice score, full report please


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## Brord (Sep 5, 2006)

Here's some more ENGL for you guys to drewl on    

ENGL Powerball head






ENGL Powerball trough my Mesa Recto cab





I couldn't be more happy with my tone. It's so heavey, but still tonefull and clear and FINALLY no more buzzsaw distortion, no fizz at all.


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## zimbloth (Sep 5, 2006)

Okay so I just got back from a lengthy band rehearsal, something like 9pm-2am or so. *I am EXTREMELY HAPPY with the Fireball!*

The moment I turned it on, I could tell it was going to be great. First figured I'd warm it up by playing on the cleans for a few. Make no mistake, the clean channel on the Fireball is prestine as they get. Very warm and full, nice and glassy. Now on to what matters - the other channel.

I am finally "home". This amp has everything I loved about the Krank (the tightness) and everything I loved about the Mesa awesome punchy dynamic lead tones. It has a very interesting sound, it doesn't sound like any of the amps I ever owned. It has super tight warm lows, awesome articulation (this thing cuts so well, blends PERFECTLY with the Recto too), and most of all a great feel. It has that kind of tight rhythm sound that I didn't think I'd be able to obtain without some serious extra gear or putting solid-state shit in there (like the Krank). Its just so... punchy and in your face. It's not as sizzly as the Mesa or 5150, it's a bit more compressed you could say, but in a good way. It's still very expressive and dynamic, but it really is just a monster.

Leads and riffs that on the Krank felt boxy, plastic and artificial, came to life like when I had my TriAxis hooked up - except it has a much more polished and tight sound than the TriAxis does. It's definitely not oozing with as many complex overtones as with the TriAxis, but it's definitely a great sound.

I've honestly never played an amp that was more ME than this. It's not perfect. I could envision a better tone (altho who knows, my guitar needs a string change, could use better tubes, v30s are kinda getting old to me), but it's just sooo fun to play. We've written 18 songs, and playing our songs - new and old - through this amp... it seems like this thing was made for epic technical heavy metal type stuff. It rewards you for your super precise attack and technique by giving you the kind of feel and response you didn't even think was obtainable.

I love this amp. It's not perfect like I said, I have much more tweaking and experimenting with things to do, but the bottom line is, I was happier with this thing more in the first minute than I ever was with the Krankenstein. At $899 new, I almost feel like I stole this amp 

Misc Thoughts:

1) One thing I thought was funny was that, unlike every other tube amp I've owned, when you turn it on/off standby, it just shuts/turns on instantly, theres no fade. Kind of weird. And... even on standby you could hear a bit of sound, haha. I don't care though.

2) This thing looks AWESOME. I love how simple the layout is. It took about 10 seconds to dial in an awesome tone.

3) This thing is very loud, but to be honest not quite as loud as I thought it would be. The master needs to be at 4-5 or so in band situations.

4) This amp has a LOT of gain. I felt myself putting it down to 4 or 5 or so which I usually don't do. On the Triaxis I usually had the gain at 7.0-7.5 or so.

5) This does sound awesome with my Mesa 4x12, but I still want to try this with Black Shadows.

6) I still think the Triaxis is "better", but $900 vs. $2200... its close enough that Im happy to have $1300 leftover. Although the Triaxis has a bit better tone than this (or anything really), I feel this is better suited for my sound. It's nice having something that cuts and is warm yet also is SUPER SUPER tight and crisp...helps when you play the kind of intricate shit we do.


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## Michael (Sep 5, 2006)

Glad you found an amp you're happy with.  It looks brutal.


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## zimbloth (Sep 5, 2006)

Thanks. It sounds brutal too


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## dpm (Sep 5, 2006)

> it seems like this thing was made for epic technical heavy metal type stuff


 
for sure  I'd love an Engl for exactly that reason, but I'd need a second (more 'classic') sound a lot of the time. Gotta agree that they're a tad compressed and not as harmonically complex as the Tri, but that's the what makes them good for the super fast complex riffing.


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## Mark. A (Sep 5, 2006)

Good to hear you're happy, you make me gas for my Peavey Ultra badly.

Never had a tube amp, can't wait.

Oh and we need clips/vids!!


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## Dylan7620 (Sep 5, 2006)

zimbloth said:


> It rewards you for your super precise attack and technique by giving you the kind of feel and response you didn't even think was obtainable.


this intrigues me so...


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## 7StringofAblicK (Sep 5, 2006)

I hate you. haha

That's such a tempting amp...


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## Karl Hungus (Sep 5, 2006)

zimbloth said:


> *I am EXTREMELY HAPPY with the Fireball!*



Excellent stuff man. I'm well happy that you like it. 

What can I say other than the Fireball is just the perfect amp for Metal.


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## Loserchief (Sep 5, 2006)

What more can i say than "Engls rock!!! :Headbang:"?

It's good that you like it and i hope you'll keep it longer than the Krank. If you ever feel the need for more flexibillity just go for the bigger brother, the Powerball.
Seeing more and more people in the US using Engl is pretty cool. More and more are falling to our side  Maybe i should become an Engl Missionary 

As you noticed, Engls are tight and have a unique voice. And of course they look cool.

Since this thread needs more Engl Porn , her's a pic of my newest and therefore second Engl. The Sovereign 100 Vinatage 1x12(The Vintage is in the name since there's a vintage 30 in it, not because of the sound). Just click on the pic for full size, since it's a little too big to be displayed in the forum window.

The Powerball was posted already and mine isn't here(it's at rehearsal room) there's no pic of it atm.


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## DSS3 (Sep 5, 2006)

Goddamn, you're giving _me_ GAS. I can't afford that kind of GAS right now!


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## eaeolian (Sep 5, 2006)

Karl Hungus said:


> Hmm, I wouldn't make any comparisons with Marshall. I'd say both 'balls are in Mesa territory, just that the Fireball has more 'Bite' to it. I'd far sooner make comparisons with a Recto or 5150, it's that kinda ball park.



I think the midrange presence has a certain modded-Marshall flavor to it, but it's definitely not "Marshall-y" in other areas, true.


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## Ryan (Sep 5, 2006)

What would you say the tonal differences are between the Fireball and the Powerball? Ive been considering a P-Ball recently, but you say some pretty interesting things about the Fireball being such a good metal amp. I play fast notey metal with occasional slow sludge riffage, which amp do you think would tailor best to that style?


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## Loserchief (Sep 5, 2006)

DSS3 said:


> Goddamn, you're giving _me_ GAS. I can't afford that kind of GAS right now!



There will come the day when you get Engl'd. I can see it in your future


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## InTheRavensName (Sep 5, 2006)

Verily, I have GAS...

...thanks so fucking much guys...thanks :/

(seriously, I'm happy for you, nice find!)


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## noodles (Sep 5, 2006)

zimbloth said:


> I could envision a better tone (altho who knows, my guitar needs a string change, could use better tubes, v30s are kinda getting old to me), but it's just sooo fun to play.
> 
> 5) This does sound awesome with my Mesa 4x12, but I still want to try this with Black Shadows.



I think you'll be quite happy with Black Shadows. They're the perfect speaker for metal, and have none of that V30 harshness. Punchy is the best way to describe them.


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## zimbloth (Sep 5, 2006)

Noodles: Sounds perfect.

Eaeolian: That's funny, I actually felt the mids were fairly Peavey-ish or Mesa-ish more than Marshall. It sounds really scooped unless you have the mids at like above 5 or so... i dunno... it just has those 6L6 type mids not the EL34 type mids the Marshalls or Laneys have.


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## noodles (Sep 5, 2006)

zimbloth said:


> Eaeolian: That's funny, I actually felt the mids were fairly Peavey-ish or Mesa-ish more than Marshall. It sounds really scooped unless you have the mids at like above 5 or so... i dunno... it just has those 6L6 type mids not the EL34 type mids the Marshalls or Laneys have.



Well, since Mike said modded-Marshall, I think he is thinking more in the neighborhood of one of those Splawn MK-II's. Those things grind in a way that no other Marshall does. It nails the Master of Puppets tone, and that was pretty close to Chris Broderick's sound when we opened for Nevermore.


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## eaeolian (Sep 5, 2006)

zimbloth said:


> Noodles: Sounds perfect.
> 
> Eaeolian: That's funny, I actually felt the mids were fairly Peavey-ish or Mesa-ish more than Marshall. It sounds really scooped unless you have the mids at like above 5 or so... i dunno... it just has those 6L6 type mids not the EL34 type mids the Marshalls or Laneys have.



Jack may have just had the mids cranked. They still sounded great, though...


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## zimbloth (Sep 5, 2006)

Yeah, good point. It's definitely an incredible amp, so fun to play, I wish I was playing it right now.


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## Shaman (Sep 5, 2006)

I have only heard great things about ENGL, so I would be eager to try one out myself.

But yeah, congratulations mate!

I hope your journey with this amp last longer than with the Krank


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## zimbloth (Sep 5, 2006)

Yeah it will. I was never happy with the Krank. Every amp I ever bought that I was happy with I kept for quite a while, usually years.


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## Ror3h (Sep 5, 2006)

Nice choice! I got my Fireball for the same reason: all I really need is one channel of pure evil, and thats sure as hell what I got!
Make sure to keep your fingers off the chrome or you may find yourself obessively polishing it


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## Karl Hungus (Sep 5, 2006)

Yep, Engl for the win!

I'd really love to try out some of the higher end stuff though, like the E570 or E580 Preamps, and especially the new Invader! Still, the Fireball is more than enough for my needs, the best Metal tones going, and sparkling clean = sorted. 

While we're spreading the Engl love, here's mine:














Also Totoro ftw!


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## DSS3 (Sep 5, 2006)

Loserchief said:


> There will come the day when you get Engl'd. I can see it in your future



Yeah, it'll be my next amp for sure.


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## zimbloth (Sep 5, 2006)

It's been 24 hours since i'e played this. I'm in serious withdrawl


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## Regor (Sep 5, 2006)

zimbloth said:


> 6) I still think the Triaxis is "better", but $900 vs. $2200... its close enough that Im happy to have $1300 leftover. Although the Triaxis has a bit better tone than this (or anything really).



I realized this the day I heard a TriAxis. I got a job with the Census in 2000 'just' to afford a TriAxis. And I've never looked back (until Kevin bought his H&K TriAmp MkII... that bastard!) Bottom line: Money is no object in the search for "the perfect tone". 

But the moral of the story is you found _your_ tone, and you're happy with it, so congratz and enjoy. Nothing facilitates good song writing like new gear!


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## zimbloth (Sep 5, 2006)

I'm sure I'll get a Triaxis again. For now the $1300 I saved switching from that to the ENGL goes a long way. I shipped it out today. Felt really sick to see it go.


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## Karl Hungus (Sep 5, 2006)

You'd think at the price you payed for the Engl you'd be able to afford to keep the Triaxis?


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## zimbloth (Sep 5, 2006)

I dont want to keep it. I wanted to get something else I liked and pocket a bunch of money to put towards other things.


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## Karl Hungus (Sep 5, 2006)

Ah yeah, fair enough. It seems I only really sell things when I need to buy more gear. "Other things" don't come into it.


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## bulb (Sep 5, 2006)

and here is mah pball


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## smith10210 (Sep 5, 2006)

Congrats I love my Engl. I had a powerball and now a savage


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## Jason (Sep 5, 2006)

lotsa knobs


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## zimbloth (Sep 5, 2006)

Very nice ENGL there. Yah I like the simplicity of my Fireball. We are a metal band so all the versatility I need is there. Can roll back the volume a bit to get a more classic rock feel if I want.


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## smith10210 (Sep 5, 2006)

I,ve always wanted to try the fireball and blackmore the SE is to much $. Should have bought the fireball instead of the powerball. Yea there is alot 2 master volumes 2 effects loops 4 channels mid contour, depth boosts and more. I basically play the 4th channel. I wish Engl would make a 2 channel savage with a decent noise suppressor. Cant wait until the invader comes out especially the 50 watter...Now i,m just trying to find a cab that I like...


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## zimbloth (Sep 5, 2006)

My Boss NS-2 pedal kills all the noise/feedback there is without affecting the tone at all, so it's all good. I do think its cool the PBall has a built in gate tho.


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## Regor (Sep 5, 2006)

When I was looking for new amps for my lead guitarist, we came across a dealer in MI for ENGL, but he no longer carried them because he didn't like the way the amps were made anymore. He said he thought they should have worked on cleaning up the amp rather than adding a noise gate as a band-aid.


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## zimbloth (Sep 5, 2006)

My Fireball has no noisegate and its really not that noisy. The Triaxis is 1000000000000000000x noisier. The TriAxis I needed both the NS-2 in front of the amp for the feedback and noise, and the G-Major noisegate in the loop for the hum. All I really need for the Fireball is the NS2. I'm not saying the ENGL is better than the Triaxis, just that the ENGL isnt that noisy really, which is cool.


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## LordOVchaoS (Sep 6, 2006)

Regor said:


> When I was looking for new amps for my lead guitarist, we came across a dealer in MI for ENGL, but he no longer carried them because he didn't like the way the amps were made anymore. He said he thought they should have worked on cleaning up the amp rather than adding a noise gate as a band-aid.








Sorry, I get pwned everytime I mention Madison due to their build quality so I had to retaliate. Couldn't help myself. That is the inside of a fireball. 

And here's their output transformer compared to a 50 watt Marshall transformer:






That said I could give a rats ass. It's not what's inside that counts, it's the tone. I'm very happy that Zimbloth digs this amp so much  . Though I have to say that for the price of some of their amps I do believe they could take a bit more time in doing a neat job of building them. At the price zimbloth got it for though, fawk it! Nice score bro!


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## zimbloth (Sep 6, 2006)

Yeah I hear ya, tone is all that matters.


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## LordOVchaoS (Sep 6, 2006)

zimbloth said:


> Yeah I hear ya, tone is all that matters.



Nice edit  I agree with what you on all accounts


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## zimbloth (Sep 6, 2006)

Yeah, I misread something you said


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## Karl Hungus (Sep 6, 2006)

zimbloth said:


> My Fireball has no noisegate and its really not that noisy. The Triaxis is 1000000000000000000x noisier. The TriAxis I needed both the NS-2 in front of the amp for the feedback and noise, and the G-Major noisegate in the loop for the hum. All I really need for the Fireball is the NS2. I'm not saying the ENGL is better than the Triaxis, just that the ENGL isnt that noisy really, which is cool.



I though it was a bit noisy myself, so I'm running a ISP Decimator infront of it. 

I'd hate to hear how noisy the Triaxis is though!


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## zimbloth (Sep 6, 2006)

The TriAxis has unbelievable hum, luckily the GMajor in the loop killed it. It also feeds back very easily. The good news once you had the noise supressors in place, it was perfect. Yeah the ENGL is a BIT noisy, but with the NS-2 in there its quiet.


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## 7 Dying Trees (Sep 8, 2006)

I need to get myself another NS-2, that pedal is just awesome!


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## Regor (Sep 8, 2006)

I never could get the NS-2 to work well for me.  

I've got an MXR Smart Gate in front and a Rocktron Guitar Silencer behind the TriAxis. Perfect combo.


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## zimbloth (Sep 8, 2006)

The NS-2 works very simple, guitar-->NS2-->triaxis. G-Major/G-Force's noise gate in the loop to get rid of the hum. All that = dead silent, no tone/sustain loss.


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## Elysian (Sep 8, 2006)

the ns-2 is good, but i definately prefer my rocktron hush IIXC to it


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## Karl Hungus (Sep 8, 2006)

ISP Decimator rules you all!


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## smith10210 (Sep 8, 2006)

isp is great


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## zimbloth (Sep 9, 2006)

I LOVE THE FIREBALL!

Man I got in a good 7 hours with it tonight with extensive band rehearsals, it sounds sooo fucking amazing. I love it. I am consistently blown away by the incredible feel and tone of this amp. Some of you guys out there need to check this out. I can't imagine how it would sound with Black Shadow speakers too.

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


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## Loserchief (Sep 9, 2006)

Had a similar experience when i got my Powerball. Engls rule the world.


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## bulb (Sep 9, 2006)

my powerball still amazes me everytime i play it, for some reason it always sounds better than i expect it to, and im playing at bedroom levels 90% of the time, but the other day i turned it up just a tad cuz it was during the day and only for like 10 mins, but oh my god it sounded beautiful!!
my local music store is gonna start carrying engls soon, so im going to try the engl se and the invader as soon as they come in to see how they stack up to the powerballs crunch!


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## Elysian (Sep 9, 2006)

Karl Hungus said:


> ISP Decimator rules you all!


nah, my rocktron was free, i win


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## zimbloth (Sep 9, 2006)

I tried the Rocktron Hush pedal before trying the ISP and Boss, it was garbage. I hear better things about their rack gear though.


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## Regor (Sep 9, 2006)

My Rocktron Guitar Silencer was "Free with purchase of chrome gooseneck"

Still got the receipt to show it! (Couldn't get it out of GC without a receipt, it was 'broken'... took it home, it's fixed. Imagine that!)


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## Elysian (Sep 9, 2006)

zimbloth said:


> I tried the Rocktron Hush pedal before trying the ISP and Boss, it was garbage. I hear better things about their rack gear though.


i can't speak for any other rocktron gear, my hush is all i've tried  i try and stay away from pedals though, i'd much rather run a rack


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## zimbloth (Sep 10, 2006)

Another 6-7 hour session with the Fireball, another overwhelming sense of joy and satisfaction at how amazing my tone is right now - even with V30s! I now like my Fireball more than the TriAxis, it is just ME. 

The key to the ENGL is to put the mids up around 6 or 7, and that gets rid of the compressed scooped sound you hear on say... Jag Panzer records (dont like Broderick's tone, sorry). You get that same tight amazing response, but just brutal and musical tone for days.

I almost want to get my ENGL head modded to have a recessed hole I can insert my...well...lets just say I love this amp, a LOT.. maybe _too_ much


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## eviltoaster (Sep 10, 2006)

i loved my firebal,too....indeed i had the money to buy a powerball,but the fireball,to my ears,simply sounds more open and raw->grinde!but i have to say try the engl blackmore,the fireball is based on this model!blackmore sounds even more marshally with less gain than the fireball (fireball has simply too much of it).
i love my SE,it's the perfect blend of modern and classic imho!the distortion is the greatest...beside og bein' flexible like hell.


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## zimbloth (Sep 10, 2006)

Sweet. Yeah the Fireball has tons of gain. Thats why I just keep it in the 3 to 5 range. It's like a 5150 in that regard. There's something comforting about knowing that you have tons to work with if you ever needed it though.


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## bulb (Sep 10, 2006)

the only difference at least with my powerball is that the entire range of gain is usable and not overlay saturated or squishy like a 5150 with gain past 6, its useable, just more than i would EVER need.
When cranked i never really put it past 3...haha


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## zimbloth (Sep 10, 2006)

The Fireball gain is usable when set high its just really pointless.


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## Karl Hungus (Sep 10, 2006)

zimbloth said:


> The Fireball gain is usable when set high its just really pointless.



I usually have it turned up just over half way, and it's insane.

Incase you're interested, here's my settings:

Bass - 4
Mids - 9
Treble - 8
Prescence - 3

Both depth and bright switches off. 

Give that a go, and see what you think.


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## Shaman (Sep 10, 2006)

I agree! It's always cool to know, that you have tons of gain left, even if you will never need it


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## Karl Hungus (Sep 10, 2006)

Shaman said:


> I agree! It's always cool to know, that you have tons of gain left, even if you will never need it



And there's always the option of throwing a tubescreamer infront! That might cause serious user harm though.


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## Loserchief (Sep 10, 2006)

Overdrive in front of a Fireball/Powerball = way too over the the top to be a good idea.
I've tried it and it was just insane. I mean the gain levels of the PB are insane on their own, but boosting the PB gave the term "insane gain levels" a whole new meaning.


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## Sebastian (Sep 10, 2006)

oooo cat...


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## zimbloth (Sep 10, 2006)

Karl Hungus said:


> I usually have it turned up just over half way, and it's insane.
> 
> Incase you're interested, here's my settings:
> 
> ...



Interesting. Here the settings I've been using:

Bass - 4
Mids - 7
Treble - 5
Presence - 5
Gain - 5
Depth = off
Bright = on

I am in love with how it sounds, but I'll try out your settings.


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## The Dark Wolf (Sep 10, 2006)

How about 

Bass - 10
Mids - 0
Treble - 10
Presence - 10
Depth - ON
Bright - ON

Give that a whirl, eh?


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## Karl Hungus (Sep 10, 2006)

The Dark Wolf said:


> How about
> 
> Bass - 10
> Mids - 0
> ...



Just thinking about it gives me a headache!


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## The Dark Wolf (Sep 10, 2006)

I kinda figured it might have that effect.


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## zimbloth (Sep 10, 2006)

Yeah, maybe if it was a Blue Voodoo or something.


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## metalfiend666 (Sep 11, 2006)

The Dark Wolf said:


> How about
> 
> Bass - 10
> Mids - 0
> ...


 
OMG!!111!!! [email protected] R0XX0RZZ!!!!!!!!1111!!!!Cos0!!!!!

You forgot that the gain has to be on 10 too though


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## Loserchief (Sep 11, 2006)

The Dark Wolf said:


> How about
> 
> Bass - 10
> Mids - 0
> ...



just tryed that on my sovereign with the gain maxed like metalfiend suggested. It didn't give me a headache but the tone sucked,and it really can hurt your ears.


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## zimbloth (Sep 11, 2006)

Thinking about the treble or presence maxed on a tube amp kinda does give me a headache.


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## 7StringofAblicK (Sep 11, 2006)

zimbloth said:


> Thinking about the treble or presence maxed on a tube amp kinda does give me a headache.



Jesus


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## Toshiro (Sep 11, 2006)

zimbloth said:


> Thinking about the treble or presence maxed on a tube amp kinda does give me a headache.



Yeah, if I wanted to die I would go turn on my Laney, turn off the attenuator, and max the treble and presence. Might as well get an ice pick and have at it.

Oh wait, I could just go buy another Crate Stealth, that amp sounds like that all the time.


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## zimbloth (Sep 11, 2006)

That actually sounds more like a JCM900 thru a Marshall 1960A cab. That pos combo delivers ice-pick agony even with the treble and presence on ZERO.


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## Toshiro (Sep 11, 2006)

zimbloth said:


> That actually sounds more like a JCM900 thru a Marshall 1960A cab. That pos combo delivers ice-pick agony even with the treble and presence on ZERO.



I dunno, the Stealth was a bright amp. They made the fool mistake of centering the low knob's frequency on like 40hz, below a guitar speaker. You could peg the bass and it was still "ice-pick in the forehead". Sounded killer for rhythm though, the diodes were before the tube drive, IIRC, so it was like a built in SD1. 

That 900 sounds scary though.


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## noodles (Sep 11, 2006)

zimbloth said:


> Thinking about the treble or presence maxed on a tube amp kinda does give me a headache.



WHAT? SPEAK UP, I CAN'T HEAR YOU.


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## eaeolian (Sep 11, 2006)

Karl Hungus said:


> Just thinking about it gives me a headache!



Thinking about YOU thinking about it gives me a headache. That's like th usual GC Recto settings:

Gain 5:00
Treble 5:00
Mid 8:00
Bass 5:00
Presence 5:00

It's howling agony like that.


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## noodles (Sep 11, 2006)

eaeolian said:


> That's like th usual GC Recto settings:
> 
> Gain 5:00
> Treble 5:00
> ...









Pain. Lots and lots of pain.


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## eaeolian (Sep 11, 2006)

My prediction for the amp: Pain.


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## zimbloth (Sep 11, 2006)

noodles said:


> Pain. Lots and lots of pain.



Isn't that "Steve the Pirate"?


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## Karl Hungus (Sep 11, 2006)

zimbloth said:


> Isn't that "Steve the Pirate"?



Looks like Wash from Firefly. Who's Steve the pirate?


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## zimbloth (Sep 11, 2006)

From "Dodgeball"...


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## Karl Hungus (Sep 11, 2006)

zimbloth said:


> From "Dodgeball"...



Ah, never seen it. Same actor though.


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## noodles (Sep 12, 2006)

*sigh* No one's seen Knight's Tale, I take it.


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## metalfiend666 (Sep 12, 2006)

noodles said:


> *sigh* No one's seen Knight's Tale, I take it.


 
I knew he looked familiar! I haven't seen Dodgeball or Firefly though.


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## Iceblade (Sep 13, 2006)

Shannon said:


> Man, after hearing the sound samples from Rock Solid Amps, I'm jonesing for the E570 preamp.



Absolutely, Shannon. It's on my list as a replacement for my Triaxis. From what I've heard, it just slays. I just wish I could find the damn thing locally to try out before I get rid of the TA. Maybe it's time to email Derek at Rocksolid and see if he can characterize the Fireball vs. Powerball vs. E530 vs. E570 vs. E580? Maybe I'll do that tomorrow. 

ARGH! If only I could try the damn thing! And if I had the liquid capital to get it before I sold the TA. I don't want to get rid of the TA until I KNOW the new rig will sound better, you know?

Later,
Jeff


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## Karl Hungus (Sep 13, 2006)

noodles said:


> *sigh* No one's seen Knight's Tale, I take it.



I have, but it was a long while ago, and I was very drunk...


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## zimbloth (Sep 13, 2006)

I definitely think the ENGL sounds better than the TriAxis. I have never been happier. I just sold my TriAxis/2:90 and got an ENGL and I have zero regrets.


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## Donnie (Sep 13, 2006)

Ok, enough with all the Engl talk! It's making me want to get one and I don't even need one! I'm not in a band anymore. 
I will say that from the sound samples, the Engl Powerball model on my Line 6 PodXT Live is closer to the Savage than the Powerball(but with more gain), hence, I want a Savage 120 and I'm out of things to sell(other than my house).

Bastards.


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## zimbloth (Sep 13, 2006)

You'd be surprised how good the Fireball sounds at low volumes as well as stadium levels. I understand you don't need an expensive amp if youre not in a band, but it's good to know that it DOES sound pretty badass at bedroom levels too. Well, not badass compared to it cranked, but badass for a tube head.


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## Donnie (Sep 13, 2006)

Well, if I ever do the whole playing live thing again, I *will* be looking into an Engl. 
I almost bought a Fireball before I grabbed the 5150 but decided to save a few bucks.  Probably a dumb idea.


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## zimbloth (Sep 13, 2006)

Yeah, the 5150 is a great amp, but the Fireball is like 100x tighter, more musical, and just overall amazing. I just got done from a long night w/ the band, so I'm still pumped up from the ENGL's tone. I almost felt bad powering it down when we were finished. Like abandoning your child in a train station or something.

I got my Fireball for $899 btw, not exactly 5150 money... but it's by no means expensive.


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## Donnie (Sep 13, 2006)

I was totally willing to pay the $1199 that www.rocksolidamps.com has them for. $899 is a stellar price!

Engl is the new black.


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## zimbloth (Sep 13, 2006)




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## Iceblade (Sep 13, 2006)

Karl Hungus said:


> And there's always the option of throwing a tubescreamer infront! That might cause serious user harm though.



Yep, I believe that is exactly what the guys in Scar Symmetry do...and I LOVE their tones on Symmetric in Design and Pitch Black Progress. And damn... who would have thought that the lead tones from Symmetric in Design were from a friggin VAMP2!??!? 

Later,
Jeff

FWIW... here's the list of the Engl distributors I just got from Engl for the US and Canada (eh). 

6th String Music 11 Harding Rd Wyckoff,NJ 07481 001-201-251-7901 ,
001-201-280-3351 , [email protected]





SOUNDPOST MUSIC 3640 W. Dempster USA IL 60076 Skokie / Illinois
[email protected] [email protected] 001-847-679 6070
001-847-679 6088




Steve Murat Altiner Guitar and Internet Sales Manager Carousel Music 2200
South Oates St Dothan, AL 36301, USA (334) 677-0859 (334) 678-7990




AMP SHOP 13701 Ventura Blvd USA CA 91423 Sherman Oaks , California
[email protected] 001 (818)-386 5500 001 (818)-386 5500
[email protected]



SPLAWN GUITARS 115 South Gaston Street USA NC 28034 Dallas, North Carolina
[email protected] 001 (704)-922 0020 001 (704)-923 0065




ROCK SOLID AMPS INC. 7300 SW 16th St. USA FL 33317 Plantation/ Florida
[email protected] [email protected] 001-954 791 8307
001-954-983 1669 001-954 683 1417




Mike Monsalve L.A. Music Services, Inc. 2367 West 208th Street, Suite 2
Torrance, CA 90501 Phone: 310-787-0123 Fax: 310-787-0210 Email:
[email protected]




UNCLE SAM'S JAMMS 1209 DURRETT LN LOUISVILLE 40213 KENTUCKY USA
STATE-KENTUCKY 101716 JEFF HILLERICH PAM HILLERICH
PHONE-502-368-4300 FAX-502-368-4343 [email protected] WEB
SITE-UNCLESAMSJAMMS.COM




Synergy Guitars Boutique 1120 Holland Drive Suite 13 FL 33487 Boca Raton
[email protected] www.SynergyGuitars.com
Tel:001-561 999 0533 001-561 999 0534 FAX: 001-561 999 0535


Chuck Levin's Washington Music Center 11151 Veirs Mill Road MD 20902 Wheaton
(301)946-8808 ext. 430 FAX (301)933-4438 [email protected]
www.chucklevins.com 


Tom Pickett`s Music 2422 N. National Rd. IN 47201 Columbus 001-812-372-6700
Fax 001-812-372-6911 [email protected] www.tompickette.com



Griffiths Guitar Works 117 Ropewalk Lane A1E 4P1 NL St,John`s Canada
Phone:001-709-579-3114 FAX:001-709-738-3114 E-Mail [email protected]
Web:www.bigguitar.com



Noisy Boyes Musik 38109 2nd Ave VON 3G0 Squamish B.C. Canada Phone
001-604-8154-505(506) E-Mail [email protected] 


Of course, not a fuggin one to be seen anywhere near Texas or Ohio where I am headed for Christmas. Friggin conspiracy. I just don't get it. You can buy an Engl in the middle of the pig-fuggers in Alabama... but not in Houston or Dallas or Austin. For Christ sake, Cleveland has the rock and roll hall of fame and you can't even find one there! 
ARGH!

Later,
Jeff


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## 7StringofAblicK (Sep 13, 2006)

How does the power stand on those? 60 mesa watts is like 120 Peavey watts lol. Is the 60 watts comparable to how a mesa is voiced?


a dealer in Louisville is getting one, i'll be going down there to check it out...but i asked about trading my mesa and he said no :/...suck

SOMEONE BUY MY NOMAD!!!


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## zimbloth (Sep 13, 2006)

Yes, the Fireball is quite loud. Not as loud as a Dual Rectifier or anything, but still more than loud enough to drown out the drums if you want, etc. I usually have the master set at 4, sometimes as high as 5, when I'm going full on with the band.


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## Iceblade (Sep 15, 2006)

Can't wait to hear some clips, Zim!!

Do you know if there is a way to use the preamp out alone, without the power amp involved... like if I wanted to record the direct preamp signal separately and run it through a cab sim or some other power amp? Maybe the effects send can do that? I'm just trying to think if there would be ANY way to record this sucker without actually having it audible in the room at the time. This is one of the reasons I am running rack gear now, but the Engl clips and cd's I've heard where these were used are pretty much making me doubt my current rig. 

Later,
Jeff


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## zimbloth (Sep 15, 2006)

There probably is but I'm just not sure.


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