anyone try the Engl Fireball?

shred-o-holic":wczx6xe4 said:
I have owned 2 FB 60's and 1 Fireball 100. I am an ENGL fan but for whatever reason I really struggled with the Fireball in a band environment. Really spikey and harsh live and you really have to crank the mids to not get lost in the mix. Other amps did much better. It's an awesome home jammer/recorder though. Whatever you do if you get one consider the presence knob as the dominant treble control if you really want to be heard. I would love to try a Retro and to me I enjoyed the Powerball channel 3 if I needed that sound for whatever application. My Ironball is no slouch tho..
In a band mix I'd have my mids around 12-1 o'clock. Cool thing is, the FB remains very heavy with the mids elevated. I agree about the presence. Definitely set it on the high side to cut through. The FB is definitely an amp that you set much differently for home to live applications. I actually much preferred the Retro Tube in a band setting. It cut through better and sounds fatter. Both killer amps though.
 
I just cranked the mids on my old FB60, didn't have any problems being heard through a Mesa 4x12 in a band mix. Usually got complemented on the tone as well. That said, I do feel I'd have a hard time going back to it after getting used to the FB100's mid boost. I leave that on, and generally have my mids maxed or damn close to maxed. There's another local metal band where someone uses one- the guy plays with the mid boost off and has the dial set around noon- I don't have any problems hearing him versus the other guitarist's dual recto. I've often wondered how many people who got buried with the 60 (or the 100, which I have a very hard time imagining with the mid boost and sheer volume it pushes) have been up against 5150/6505's with the mids dimed, which sounds ultra honky to my ears (and I own a 6505, for the record).
 
I owned a FB100 and didn't really like it. 2-dimensional and synthetic sounding IMO.

Sure, gobs of gain, tons of lowend and a mid boost...but those were just misdirection away from the fact that amps core tone was lacking.

Sold it to some pimply, wide eyed kid for a mint.
 
D-Rock":28wjvy6u said:
I owned a FB100 and didn't really like it. 2-dimensional and synthetic sounding IMO.

Sure, gobs of gain, tons of lowend and a mid boost...but those were just misdirection away from the fact that amps core tone was lacking.

Sold it to some pimply, wide eyed kid for a mint.

Yeah that has always been a thing for me as well. I was always fighting with the thing to get the sound I wanted with the Fireball. Initially I was in love with the tone but then after a while it grated on my ears. I was battling with different frequencies. There is still something about ENGL's that draws me back to them. They are a very metal modern amp. It's wierd.......but my Mesa TC 50 which is a completely different animal gets me what I need in seconds. I still have my Ironball that I scored in epic trade for a Line 6 DT25 combo and HD-500. It's a joy to play at home. I still got my ENGL flava when I need it :) Would love to try a Retro and the first Engl I tried a long time ago..............the Savage 120. To me the Fireball was a less refined more raw Powerball which is a good thing to many. But I would rather have a Powerball 2 then ever get another FB no offense...
 
I've had a few 60s and 2 of the 100s. Early on, I loved them. The 60 sounded best with an EQ in the loop to give it a little more girth. With the EQ, I could get it close to the way I dialed in my old SE - so much so, that I sold the SE and kept the 60. These days, I agree with the 2-dimensional/sterile comments above. The last time I bought the 100 was because I got a good deal. It was fun to play for a few days, but that wore off quick.
 
yeah i talked myself out of it, the gas ceased lol. i get all i need with my Marshall type amps and 6505 mini
 
I wasn’t gonna say it before since everyone was loving their Engl’s, but yes I agree they do sound very compressed and processed, but most of them are very tight and have lots of growl and are fun to play. A good modded Marshall though can outgrowl any Engl and get even tighter than all of them except maybe the Invader and feel at least as fun to play, while being way way more organic/lively and more open/less compressed.

That being said I own still an Engl SE EL34 and plan to keep it. It still very much has that Engl sound (compression, inorganic and all), but there’s a certain way it’s bottom end hits you that none of my other 17 amps can match (like my Wizard MTL, Cameron modded Marshall’s, ccv, Mark iii++ coliseums) and it has lots of growl. Definitely my favorite Engl
 
Can anyone speak to how the Fireball compares to the Powerball II? I briefly owned a PBII and actually loved it. Thought it was just as good as most of the boutique/modded amps I've had. Interested in getting another, but would like to try the Fireball.
 
Salos":nkf6v8ts said:
Can anyone speak to how the Fireball compares to the Powerball II? I briefly owned a PBII and actually loved it. Thought it was just as good as most of the boutique/modded amps I've had. Interested in getting another, but would like to try the Fireball.
It’s been a while since I tried a PBII, but from what I remember it was tighter, stiffer and more crisp sounding than the Fireball. The FB has more warmth and low mid growl and feels less stiff to play, but as I posted earlier in this thread, I think the Inferno (Marty Friedman model) is like a much better version of the Fireball and worth going for that instead imo. The control layout is the same, so I’m guessing it was at least somewhat based around the FB. For me, the Inferno was also hands down the best Engl for playing leads, but for me still not on the same level as my modded Marshall’s

If you liked the PBII, you may also like the SE EL34 or Savage
 
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