Best ENGL amp?

[Holy-diver]

Well, sorry I phrased that badly.

When I say best I mean favourite, in your opinion what is the bet ENGL amp?

Having only experience with a Powerball I can't compare models, it sounded really compressed to me, too much so for classic/hard rock, lead tones were liquid, overall I liked it but if spending that much money I'd look elsewhere.

But from what I've heard, and what style and tone I like, the Savage would be my favourite... ? I currently play a 5150 II and long for nicer cleans, wouldn't mind it being slightly smoother and tighter.

That's my opinion, too. The leads sounded and felt mushy when I played them. It's not that there was too much bass - in fact it can be a really bright amp - it's more the fact that I felt wedged in this one sound, this one liquid sound that had no real punch or sensitivity.

I'm just bitchin', really. ENGL's just aren't my cup o' tea.

Yeah, I agree with that, I get the similar thing when I tried my CS-3 through my 5150 II, it's just so compressed it all comes out kinda the same, very mushy with no dynamics, some guys like it though.

the 5150 ii is a lot more compressed than the 5150 imo. that is the main difference in tone and feel i hear

 

[Tawlks]

Well, sorry I phrased that badly.

When I say best I mean favourite, in your opinion what is the bet ENGL amp?

Having only experience with a Powerball I can't compare models, it sounded really compressed to me, too much so for classic/hard rock, lead tones were liquid, overall I liked it but if spending that much money I'd look elsewhere.

But from what I've heard, and what style and tone I like, the Savage would be my favourite... ? I currently play a 5150 II and long for nicer cleans, wouldn't mind it being slightly smoother and tighter.

That's my opinion, too. The leads sounded and felt mushy when I played them. It's not that there was too much bass - in fact it can be a really bright amp - it's more the fact that I felt wedged in this one sound, this one liquid sound that had no real punch or sensitivity.

I'm just bitchin', really. ENGL's just aren't my cup o' tea.

Yeah, I agree with that, I get the similar thing when I tried my CS-3 through my 5150 II, it's just so compressed it all comes out kinda the same, very mushy with no dynamics, some guys like it though.

the 5150 ii is a lot more compressed than the 5150 imo. that is the main difference in tone and feel i hear

It is more compressed, but I wouldn't say it's alot more compressed. With the way I eq it and set the gain it sounds less compressed to my ears, it doesn't have as much rawness as a 5150, I guess that would make it sound more compressed, or the other way round.

 

[Gsxrbusa]

the invader seems to try to do what a 5150 can do better. i can agree with the people who like the invader tone, but a cranked 5150 sounds much better - it covers that tone nicely.

I disagree. Have a/b'd the both of em on the same cab. Invader is smoother and more bottom end. And of course they were cranked. Invader cleans stomp 5150. To each their own

maybe i should reword what i said - a MM OT and choke running my modification series for 5150 II's - the 5150 does it better.

and ive never met a 5150 owner that cared about cleans

thats cool. bet ur right bout the cleans. 5150 just not for me. would like to hear ur modded one.

 

[Gsxrbusa]

Well Tawlks, out of the Engl lineup I have owned/tried (blackmore,fireball,powerball v2,savage,invader 150) The Invader gets my vote. With the Savage coming in close second. Fuckin channel 4 is just plain brutal with my setup. It also cutz thru nicely. Midi capabilty kicks ass too. Very good clean channel and overall the amp is very versitile. It's a keeper for me.

Ooh awesome. Gotta say man, I LOVE your setup. it's one of my favourite all time rigs, would love it. Would swap the Cobra for a 5150 or II but still great. I think those ISP Vector cabs look great.

That's cool to hear, how does the 150 favour over the 100? From waht I've heard I'd like the Savage most so I'd like to hear about the Invader, I'm not looking to buy though!

Thanks a lot, man. It's a lot of fun to play. I couldn't imagine the 100 sounding that much different than the 150. Idk...I love my 150 though.

 

[Tawlks]

Well Tawlks, out of the Engl lineup I have owned/tried (blackmore,fireball,powerball v2,savage,invader 150) The Invader gets my vote. With the Savage coming in close second. Fuckin channel 4 is just plain brutal with my setup. It also cutz thru nicely. Midi capabilty kicks ass too. Very good clean channel and overall the amp is very versitile. It's a keeper for me.

Ooh awesome. Gotta say man, I LOVE your setup. it's one of my favourite all time rigs, would love it. Would swap the Cobra for a 5150 or II but still great. I think those ISP Vector cabs look great.

That's cool to hear, how does the 150 favour over the 100? From waht I've heard I'd like the Savage most so I'd like to hear about the Invader, I'm not looking to buy though!

Thanks a lot, man. It's a lot of fun to play. I couldn't imagine the 100 sounding that much different than the 150. Idk...I love my 150 though.

I bet it is haha, some day I'll have a rig of the standard of some I've seen on HCAF and here, but I'm 16 and don't spend my money on much else but gear and going to gigs, so I'm pretty happy with my current rig.

Oh and by the way, I'm a 5150 owner and I care alot about cleans. haha. I actually play more cleans since buying it and less br00tz, if I'd known that I would've got a used Recto or something, I still love it though.

 

[Mailman1971]

I owned 3 ENGLS. I had the Invader 150, Savage 120, Fireball 100.
All were metal beasts. But the most flexible out of them 3 for me was the Invader 150. Channel 2 sounded "EXCELLENT"

Sold it off to get something different. But I really enjoyed the Invader 150.
Great Rock and Metal tones.

 

[Wizard of Ozz]

I've played the SE, Savage 120, & Powerball v2.0... Best all around, would be the SE EL34 IMHO. I totally agree with Erock's quote below:

just like every other amp out, there is no best, just what you prefer for your tastes and styles. I happen to really like the SE.

Personally, I really dig the EL34 SE a lot. Really nice mid growl, thick tight lowend, and tons of saturation and gain. It was a bit too bright for my tastes at first, but an RFT in V1 seemed to be the ticket for me. I also liked the Blackmore a lot, but prefer the SE for the all out aggressive metal tones. REALLY want to get my hands on a Savage or Invader some time, or the Savage SE.

That very accurately sums up my opinion of the SE. Very heavy and the 2 lead channels give you 2 different versions of heavy. Very versatile and midi friendly.

The Savage 120 sounds better to me than the Powerball due to the aggressive mid bit and super-tight chunky rhythms... versus the more scooped/bassy tone of the PB.

I played the Invader 100, but it didn't impress me as much as the SE. The Invader just didn't have that super-saturated, aggressive, evil, bitting tone I hear in the other Engl models. I like the Invader's channel 3 the best on that amp. I've not played the Blackmore, but for me, it's just really not versatile enough.

 

[killertone]

I have owned an Invader 100, Fireball 100, and spent lots of time on an EL34 SE, Savage, and Powerball. The Blackmore is my fave by far out of those. It actually has a lot of tones available in it but it is just hard to get to them on the fly unless you implement a switching system.

 

[Wizard of Ozz]

I have owned an Invader 100, Fireball 100, and spent lots of time on an EL34 SE, Savage, and Powerball. The Blackmore is my fave by far out of those. It actually has a lot of tones available in it but it is just hard to get to them on the fly unless you implement a switching system.

The Blackmore should have some competition arriving in about 24 hours .

 

[lolzgreg]

The Savage is the best IMHO.

 

[zee1usa]

own 3:

SE E670 EL34 is my Favorite

if I could not afford the SE, I would be fine with just my Savage.

The Invader is pretty nifty, but I could live without it.

Never tried a power or fire ball..thinking I'm ok with what I got.

Favorite? SE E670 EL34 which is the most evil high gain amp I own.
Just really discovered engl a couple years ago, can't believe it took so long.

Really I would be ok with any Engl, because they all have that Engl sound.


Not a fan of the 1 yr warranty!

 

[glpg80]

the invader seems to try to do what a 5150 can do better. i can agree with the people who like the invader tone, but a cranked 5150 sounds much better - it covers that tone nicely.

I disagree. Have a/b'd the both of em on the same cab. Invader is smoother and more bottom end. And of course they were cranked. Invader cleans stomp 5150. To each their own

maybe i should reword what i said - a MM OT and choke running my modification series for 5150 II's - the 5150 does it better.

and ive never met a 5150 owner that cared about cleans

thats cool. bet ur right bout the cleans. 5150 just not for me. would like to hear ur modded one.

recorded with a laptop - definately not ideal - and the low end is not mushy like that at all - its just the mic cant take the volume. enjoy

 

[glpg80]

own 3:

SE E670 EL34 is my Favorite

if I could not afford the SE, I would be fine with just my Savage.

The Invader is pretty nifty, but I could live without it.

Never tried a power or fire ball..thinking I'm ok with what I got.

Favorite? SE E670 EL34 which is the most evil high gain amp I own.
Just really discovered engl a couple years ago, can't believe it took so long.

Really I would be ok with any Engl, because they all have that Engl sound.


Not a fan of the 1 yr warranty!

yeah engls dont have the best reputation for build quality.... definately worth mentioning

 

[Repner]

I've been GAS'sing for the SE preamp for months now personally. Half the price of the full amp, and I use a rack anyway

 

[boltzthrower]

I own/used to own the following:

Powerball - I was flat out unimpressed. After using it at practice for the first(and last) time, the bass player goes "...it's alright".

E530 preamp - Best bang for your buck if you're goin' for high gain metal. Very simple, 2 channels.

E670 SE 6l6 version - Best sounding head I've ever played. Switchable FX loop is very useful to me. Midi programming is a snap.

E570 SE preamp - Same as the E670 pre section. I paired it with a VHT 2/90/2. This thing is my bread and butter. I love the clear, tight, dryness of the VHT much better than the Engl power section on the E670. This is pretty much the standard I compare everything to nowadays.

Too bad there's no ENGL dealers around here, I really want to try a savage 120, but don't think I'll take a chance on it.

 

[Repner]

I own/used to own the following:

Powerball - I was flat out unimpressed. After using it at practice for the first(and last) time, the bass player goes "...it's alright".

E530 preamp - Best bang for your buck if you're goin' for high gain metal. Very simple, 2 channels.

E670 SE 6l6 version - Best sounding head I've ever played. Switchable FX loop is very useful to me. Midi programming is a snap.

E570 SE preamp - Same as the E670 pre section. I paired it with a VHT 2/90/2. This thing is my bread and butter. I love the clear, tight, dryness of the VHT much better than the Engl power section on the E670. This is pretty much the standard I compare everything to nowadays.

Too bad there's no ENGL dealers around here, I really want to try a savage 120, but don't think I'll take a chance on it.

That's my problem as well. There is a place in Glasgow that stocks an Engl Screamer, but that's all I could find. I would really love to try an E570 preamp (or at least an SE head. If I like that I imagine the preamp will be somewhere close)

 

[killertone]

I have owned an Invader 100, Fireball 100, and spent lots of time on an EL34 SE, Savage, and Powerball. The Blackmore is my fave by far out of those. It actually has a lot of tones available in it but it is just hard to get to them on the fly unless you implement a switching system.

The Blackmore should have some competition arriving in about 24 hours .

 

[Mailman1971]

I have owned an Invader 100, Fireball 100, and spent lots of time on an EL34 SE, Savage, and Powerball. The Blackmore is my fave by far out of those. It actually has a lot of tones available in it but it is just hard to get to them on the fly unless you implement a switching system.

The Blackmore should have some competition arriving in about 24 hours .

Want some good feedback!!

Just to FUEL MY GAS FLAMES more for the Herbert.

 

[killertone]

I have owned an Invader 100, Fireball 100, and spent lots of time on an EL34 SE, Savage, and Powerball. The Blackmore is my fave by far out of those. It actually has a lot of tones available in it but it is just hard to get to them on the fly unless you implement a switching system.

The Blackmore should have some competition arriving in about 24 hours .

Want some good feedback!!

Just to FUEL MY GAS FLAMES more for the Herbert.

I will let you know. Should be here around 3pm CST.

 

[Les Zombie]

For about 3 years I thought the engl se was my favorite sounding engl amp, the savage was 2nd and the morse 3rd. That was before I played a Blackmore, now I think the Blackmore is my fav and the savage 2nd and the se 3rd fav.
I don't care about the price either, my feelings as on the feel and tone. I had some issues with the quality on the se but that has nothing to do with the tone.

Sometimes we tend to change our mind and I guess my taste has changed over the years.
There was a time when the powerball was my fav but that was mostly because I didn't get to hear all the other amps engl makes.