Hi I have been playing saxophone since 1972 and guitar since 1978. (Van Halen, Rush, Ted Nuggent,B.O.C.) I have had or have Supros,Vintage Marshalls (From back when you could buy them for $300-$400) 1977 JMP, 1982 JCM 800 2204,DSl200, Single double triple recifiers, Krank, Peavey XXX 40 & 100 watt versions,Splawn Streetrod & Splawn Quickrod, Bogner Shiva. I have tried MANY boutique amps in the high end stores. I am constantly trying,selling,swapping, buying gear.
Recently out of need for supreme versatility,(Variety band) having done considerable research, I purchased a ENGL Powerball 2.
The best amp I have ever had.
I hear a lot of negativity about this amp that makes me believe most of that comes from someone who just doesn't know how to set it.
The clean: Can go from cutting glassy to very warm jazzy and unlike many High gain capable amps this channel is super usable & not stiff like most of the amps I have listed above's clean. Turn up the gain and it goes into light crunch that doesn't round off fuzzy or muddy. Excellent channel.
The crunch: Goes from about where the clean leaves off (this amp's channels overlap perfect)to Being able to mock My 800 very close to modded marshall type gain.
Vintage rock sounds in this channel. Very responsive and just begs to sustain into usable feedback with ease. Even at lower volumes the amp is just so alive and controllable. I've only had a couple marshalls out of all the amps I've had that would do this so well. The key to channels on the Powerball 2 is using the mid controls properly among with mid boost. That instantly silenced my picky friends who called the next channel "kinda scooped"
Lead 3 & 4 are similar but have a different upper mid/high IMO. I turn the mid boost on 4 and use it for leads-awesome. My only mild complaint is 3 can be fizzy but I took out the horrid JJs and put in some Old Mesa Special tested Chineese tubes (the ones with the shrink wrap) and it cured the fizz unless you want it there. Metal players use the fizz to get "that sound" and you can in this channel by all means. But turning down the ferocious gain on this channel (like all the channels)doesn't sterilize it it just makes it more "old school" if that makes any sense. This is not just a metal channel at all, you just need to use all the control available. I can even dial in a super close Eric Johnson tone on this just by messing with high, mids and gain.
My Engl Powerball 2 has tone controls that really work and are set just right. Unlike many amps,all the channels are great. Bogner Shivas are always reported to have a great clean, and that's why I got one,but this powerball's clean smokes it. There is nothing the Shiva can do that this amp can do better using just clean & crunch channel. Nothing. The touch control and harmonics on this amp are way easy to get. And it loves strats too. Ive' played this amp for many friends that start to look wary when I switch to a Strat,but it works perfect with one going from Warm & beautiful to SRV tone to big gain sounding Humbucker if you want.
I know this sounds like an ad but I just gush over this amp daring anything to beat it in terms of versatility & sounds. People saying this amp is only for metal have not heard one dialed in properly. I know there is a U tube vid of someone using the low gain sounds that is a good example.
Recently out of need for supreme versatility,(Variety band) having done considerable research, I purchased a ENGL Powerball 2.
The best amp I have ever had.
I hear a lot of negativity about this amp that makes me believe most of that comes from someone who just doesn't know how to set it.
The clean: Can go from cutting glassy to very warm jazzy and unlike many High gain capable amps this channel is super usable & not stiff like most of the amps I have listed above's clean. Turn up the gain and it goes into light crunch that doesn't round off fuzzy or muddy. Excellent channel.
The crunch: Goes from about where the clean leaves off (this amp's channels overlap perfect)to Being able to mock My 800 very close to modded marshall type gain.
Vintage rock sounds in this channel. Very responsive and just begs to sustain into usable feedback with ease. Even at lower volumes the amp is just so alive and controllable. I've only had a couple marshalls out of all the amps I've had that would do this so well. The key to channels on the Powerball 2 is using the mid controls properly among with mid boost. That instantly silenced my picky friends who called the next channel "kinda scooped"
Lead 3 & 4 are similar but have a different upper mid/high IMO. I turn the mid boost on 4 and use it for leads-awesome. My only mild complaint is 3 can be fizzy but I took out the horrid JJs and put in some Old Mesa Special tested Chineese tubes (the ones with the shrink wrap) and it cured the fizz unless you want it there. Metal players use the fizz to get "that sound" and you can in this channel by all means. But turning down the ferocious gain on this channel (like all the channels)doesn't sterilize it it just makes it more "old school" if that makes any sense. This is not just a metal channel at all, you just need to use all the control available. I can even dial in a super close Eric Johnson tone on this just by messing with high, mids and gain.
My Engl Powerball 2 has tone controls that really work and are set just right. Unlike many amps,all the channels are great. Bogner Shivas are always reported to have a great clean, and that's why I got one,but this powerball's clean smokes it. There is nothing the Shiva can do that this amp can do better using just clean & crunch channel. Nothing. The touch control and harmonics on this amp are way easy to get. And it loves strats too. Ive' played this amp for many friends that start to look wary when I switch to a Strat,but it works perfect with one going from Warm & beautiful to SRV tone to big gain sounding Humbucker if you want.
I know this sounds like an ad but I just gush over this amp daring anything to beat it in terms of versatility & sounds. People saying this amp is only for metal have not heard one dialed in properly. I know there is a U tube vid of someone using the low gain sounds that is a good example.
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