mctallica1
Well-known member
Hey Guys. This is my second go round with this amp. The first time it had some issues...I think related to shipping.
Before you ask, no clips. I have never made any.
Overall, if you liked the original powerball at all, you will REALLY like the II. My main issues with the first version were that you could not really use all 4 channels on the fly and that it was a bit too compressed sounding on the high gain channels.
The II has 4 legit channels that you can use on the fly, each with its own gain and voulme. The clean and crunch each have their own treble, which is very nice.
The lead 1 and lead 2 channels share controls, but have their own gain and volume. Each channel also has its own bottom button (I like it on lead 2, but not on Lead 1).
The clean channel is very good. Nice clean, clean tones withthe gain below 9 oclock.
Crunch is a HUGE improvement from the original version. It can do mild breakup to 80's thrashy tones and takes a boost pedal very well. I like this channel a lot and hated it on the original.
Lead 1 is a bit thicker sounding than lead 2. More open than the original Powerball, but still aggressive as hell.
Lead 2 is brighter than lead 1 and a bit crisper. I engage the bottom button on this channel and it doesn't get boomy. Very nice.
The presence and Depth controls work very well. As you might expect, I like more presence at lower volumes and less as the volume increases.
On the lead channels, the mid control sounds great at 11 oclock and above. Below that, it is almost like it goes into big time scoop mode.
This amp sounds great at whisper volume and can knock small buildings down when you crank it. One thing I didn't care for with the original was that as you got louder, the sound thinned out a bit. This is not the case at all wit the II. It just gets bigger and meaner.
The effects loop works very well. I am running a reverb pedal in the loop and also tried my MXR 10 band EQ. No need for the EQ, but wanted to try it.
As point of reference, my prior favorite amp in the ENGL line was the Blackmore. I would like to A/B the Blackmore and PBII, but I think I like the overall tone of the II more...and it has much more versatility.
With all that said....if you don't like the ENGL sound, you probably wont like this amp. It definitely sounds like an ENGL. BUT....If you liked the Powerball, but had the same issues I had, this amp is a huge step forward.
ENGL got it right with this amp.
Oh yeah...I did rip out all the ENGL preamp tubes. I don't know what they are, but I really don't like them. I have an RFT in v1 and 2 and Chinese 9th gens in the other spots.
I am wondering what a quad of SED 6L6's would do for this thing
Big thumbs up to Josh Sage as well. GREAT guy to work with. Can't reccomend him enough.
T
Before you ask, no clips. I have never made any.
Overall, if you liked the original powerball at all, you will REALLY like the II. My main issues with the first version were that you could not really use all 4 channels on the fly and that it was a bit too compressed sounding on the high gain channels.
The II has 4 legit channels that you can use on the fly, each with its own gain and voulme. The clean and crunch each have their own treble, which is very nice.
The lead 1 and lead 2 channels share controls, but have their own gain and volume. Each channel also has its own bottom button (I like it on lead 2, but not on Lead 1).
The clean channel is very good. Nice clean, clean tones withthe gain below 9 oclock.
Crunch is a HUGE improvement from the original version. It can do mild breakup to 80's thrashy tones and takes a boost pedal very well. I like this channel a lot and hated it on the original.
Lead 1 is a bit thicker sounding than lead 2. More open than the original Powerball, but still aggressive as hell.
Lead 2 is brighter than lead 1 and a bit crisper. I engage the bottom button on this channel and it doesn't get boomy. Very nice.
The presence and Depth controls work very well. As you might expect, I like more presence at lower volumes and less as the volume increases.
On the lead channels, the mid control sounds great at 11 oclock and above. Below that, it is almost like it goes into big time scoop mode.
This amp sounds great at whisper volume and can knock small buildings down when you crank it. One thing I didn't care for with the original was that as you got louder, the sound thinned out a bit. This is not the case at all wit the II. It just gets bigger and meaner.
The effects loop works very well. I am running a reverb pedal in the loop and also tried my MXR 10 band EQ. No need for the EQ, but wanted to try it.
As point of reference, my prior favorite amp in the ENGL line was the Blackmore. I would like to A/B the Blackmore and PBII, but I think I like the overall tone of the II more...and it has much more versatility.
With all that said....if you don't like the ENGL sound, you probably wont like this amp. It definitely sounds like an ENGL. BUT....If you liked the Powerball, but had the same issues I had, this amp is a huge step forward.
ENGL got it right with this amp.
Oh yeah...I did rip out all the ENGL preamp tubes. I don't know what they are, but I really don't like them. I have an RFT in v1 and 2 and Chinese 9th gens in the other spots.
I am wondering what a quad of SED 6L6's would do for this thing
Big thumbs up to Josh Sage as well. GREAT guy to work with. Can't reccomend him enough.
T
Thanks for the review, would love to hear the PBII someday. 
Yes, 138 fucking pounds. Solid as a fucking rock. No particle board here. Front loaded cab with V30's. One of the best built solid cabs I have owned. Sound fantastic too!
