I'm Switching To ENGL (Zim Blasphemy Content!)

[zimbloth]

This feels so strange since I'm still madly in love with the Pittbulls, but after spending some time recently with the ENGL Fireball 100 I have no choice but to make the switch. Numerous sick amps have fought valiantly to overtake its throne previously and failed, but the FB100 is the new king! I will be selling my CLX in the classifieds shortly. I'd love to keep both but I am not a collector, I only keep what I can use live.

I've enjoyed every moment with my Pittbull UL/CLX over the last 5 years or so, and I'm still a huge fan (and dealer) but ENGL really got this amp fucking right. They should discontinue the original Fireball because it can't come close to this (I owned that for a while too). I love the Invader 100 as well and while I can afford to buy that instead, but I actually prefer the sound of the Fireball 100. The most brutal, responsive, tight amp I've ever played!

I'm super excited about this but also a little somber. I'll have to prepare a Pittbull tribute video montage accompanied with a string orchestra soon

Also thinking about putting together a live-in case with rack for this. Any thoughts on this front? I was thinking of getting something like this. I also have to decide what cab to use. My Fryette Fat Bottom 4x12 sounds godly with this, but then again the ENGL one sounds great too and obviously looks cooler with the head. Decisions...

Anyways I'm pumped up about this and couldn't help but share the news with you. None of this has anything to do with business, I'm still a huge Fryette fan and am proud to be one of their best dealers still, but I have to do whats in the best interest of my band! I've never played an amp that delivered the kinds of tones and responsiveness that the Fireball 100 does. It blew everyone in my band away (and they're used to me bringing Diezels and other crazy amps at random). My other guitarist probably will be getting one soon, although his Fryette Deliverance 120 sounds great in our live mix so who knows!

Feel free to offer your support, tell me I'm crazy, ask detailed questions about the amp (the youtube clips of this amp are a fucking disgrace), laugh at the irony of this given how much I hated the ENGLs I owned previously, etc. Also, in the interest of full disclosure I *am* an ENGL dealer, but this is coming from the heart. I am excited to bust this out at my band's CD release show on April 16th!!

Cheers

 

[Empryrean]

Do you have clips I can listen to? as my broke ass can only dream of playing one someday

 

[zimbloth]

Do you have clips I can listen to? as my broke ass can only dream of playing one someday

I'll be doing a video demonstration of the amp soon. I'll try my best to do it right. 99% of clips sound like shit so I don't want to post anything that's not accurate. I hope to record with this amp on our forthcoming full-length CD (we're wrapping up our EP now).

I'm sure you can own one someday dude, it's one of their cheapest amps at $1699. That's still a lot of money, but that's less than your average Recto

 

[Empryrean]

^ Yes recto prices destroy my jeans as well..

Can't wait for the vid Nick! I'm glad your posts are always so informative

 

[zimbloth]

^ Yes recto prices destroy my jeans as well..

Can't wait for the vid Nick! I'm glad your posts are always so informative

I'm sure you'll be able to someday man! I imagine the Fireball 100 will be around for quite some time. IMO it's their best sounding metal amp by a wide margin, it will catch on soon. It's still new

I just hope the new Powerball II that's coming out next month doesn't show the same kind of improvement over the original or else I'm going to have another tough decision on my hands (I hated the original Powerball though, whereas I thought the original Fireball was at least decent).

 

[Cadavuh]

Thats sick dude! I loved that amp the second I tried it. It really gave me the clarity, tightness, and mid punch I wanted with a really cool voicing to it. Also ive heard that live-in head+rack cases are a real bitch to move around and arent worth it but then again ive never owned one myself so who knows...

 

[poopyalligator]

As an engl fireball and vht pittbull cl owner I will put my hand in and say that engl > vht. Not that they both dont have things that they are both really good at. To my ears, the engl just comes out a lot clearer and better. I own a fireball 60 and I think it is amazing, but i will soon be switching over to the 100 (still like the 60 better than the vht though).

 

[loktide]

wow, i would have never seen this coming

so what about the powerball 2? have you got to compare it to the FB100?

i'm also absolutely anxious to try the FB100 out

 

[zimbloth]

wow, i would have never seen this coming

so what about the powerball 2? have you got to compare it to the FB100?

i'm also absolutely anxious to try the FB100 out

The Powerball II isn't released yet bro. It's coming out in mid-March. I didn't like the original Powerball so I'm going in with low expectations. I do have one on order so I'll let you guys know as soon as they're released to the public!

Thats sick dude! I loved that amp the second I tried it. It really gave me the clarity, tightness, and mid punch I wanted with a really cool voicing to it. Also ive heard that live-in head+rack cases are a real bitch to move around and arent worth it but then again ive never owned one myself so who knows...

Well it will have casters. I'm sure it'll heavy but 2 people should handle it. I can't imagine it being much worse than my bass player's 8x10 rig we lug around to gigs. I just want to have everything 'pre-wired' so setup times at shows can be super-quick. Also it would provide protection during transportation and look cool on stage

As an engl fireball and vht pittbull cl owner I will put my hand in and say that engl > vht. Not that they both dont have things that they are both really good at. To my ears, the engl just comes out a lot clearer and better. I own a fireball 60 and I think it is amazing, but i will soon be switching over to the 100 (still like the 60 better than the vht though).

I highly recommend losing the 60 for the 100, you'll love it.

When I first got my Ultra-Lead I still had the Fireball 60. It was a joke how much it got smoked in an A/B comparison. The FB100 is a COMPLETELY different animal. Which CL do you have? The UL/CLX > CL IMO.

 

[Cadavuh]

How do the Fryette and ENGL cabs compare with this head?

 

[Sepultorture]

(sniff) nick, i'm so proud (sniff)

seriously though, this is an amazing testament to the power that this amp has and what it can offer, all the words i've been going on and on about for his amp can't compare to this

NICK, the VHT man himself is going to Replace the mack daddy of VHT goodness (which i owned once also) and going for the low end ENGL.

this inspired me also to just say fuck it and go out and buy one

and IF me ranting about how effing amazing it is and NICK switching over is not proof enough, get yer ass to an ENGL dealer no matter how near or far and try one out

 

[poopyalligator]

I highly recommend losing the 60 for the 100, you'll love it.

When I first got my Ultra-Lead I still had the Fireball 60. It was a joke how much it got smoked in an A/B comparison. The FB100 is a COMPLETELY different animal. Which CL do you have? The UL/CLX > CL IMO.

I have owned a cl50 and a clx100. Both of them were great amps. I guess i just never bonded with them as much as the engl. The engl just sounds perfect for the type of music that i play.

 

[loktide]

Replace the mack daddy of VHT goodness (which i owned once also) and going for the low end ENGL.

low end ENGL? the fireball is built as well as all the savage, powerball, invader and SE. it's a simple amp without too many bells and whistles like a 6505), hence the price tag.

 

[zimbloth]

How do the Fryette and ENGL cabs compare with this head?

The Fryette cab has much tighter bass response and incredible dispersion. Very punchy and clear. The ENGL 4x12 sounds great too and is easily the best V30 cab I've ever heard. These amps are so tight and smooth that it helps mask the qualities of V30s I dislike.

Honestly I haven't had a chance to try the ENGL cab at rehearsals though (the only true test for me), so I'll wait to make a definitive statement. I'd be shocked if I liked it more than the FatBottom cab though. That's my favorite cabinet of all-time. If it's a tie I'll get the ENGL for cosmetic reasons; the ENGL cabs look amazing (especially the new ones with the black grille).

(sniff) nick, i'm so proud (sniff)

seriously though, this is an amazing testament to the power that this amp has and what it can offer, all the words i've been going on and on about for his amp can't compare to this

NICK, the VHT man himself is going to Replace the mack daddy of VHT goodness (which i owned once also) and going for the low end ENGL.

this inspired me also to just say fuck it and go out and buy one

and IF me ranting about how effing amazing it is and NICK switching over is not proof enough, get yer ass to an ENGL dealer no matter how near or far and try one out

Thanks man. You speak the truth! I'd recommend these to anyone. I'll be keeping these in stock at all times. Everyone who has tried it so far has flipped out!

low end ENGL? the fireball is built as well as all the savage, powerball, invader and SE. it's a simple amp without too many bells and whistles like a 6505), hence the price tag.

He just meant 'low-end' in terms of pirincing. The Fireball 100 is top notch.

 

[leonardo7]

You make me want to try an ENGL so bad. I wonder how it compares to the Savage as far as sound cause from vids the Savage rules as do pretty much all ENGLs.

 

[zimbloth]

You make me want to try an ENGL so bad. I wonder how it compares to the Savage as far as sound cause from vids the Savage rules as do pretty much all ENGLs.

It's a lot meaner sounding than the Savage. A lot tighter also. The mid voicing is much more to my liking as well; it has that really brutal 'growl' I require from an amp. The FB100 is a bit darker and has more headroom I think than the Savage. The Savage is cool also but it's a bit more 'tame' in comparison.

 

[DrakkarTyrannis]

Zim..not you too. I swear this is like some horror movie where everyone in the town gets turned into zombies. I feel like I'm the only one left. I'm scared...what if I end up with one to? Oh god..someone hold me

 

[zimbloth]

Zim..not you too. I swear this is like some horror movie where everyone in the town gets turned into zombies. I feel like I'm the only one left. I'm scared...what if I end up with one to? Oh god..someone hold me

Sorry man! I don't know what to tell you, ENGL listened to the customer feedback on the FB60 and made the FB100 a million times better. I was so content with my rig and when I brought the amp down to our practice space I was almost hoping it would get 'exposed' so I wouldn't have to make a hard decision, but it really blew everything away. If it makes you feel better, I still hate the Powerball haha (although the PB2 might change that...)

What I love about the Fireball is that it's so insanely tight and focused, yet doesn't play stiff or sound dry. In fact, it has a massive low-end and plenty of juicy qualities to it. It somehow sounds organic, not processed cardboard and bright like other ENGLs I owned. The amp is very unforgiving in terms of how crystal clear the note definition is, yet it's forgiving in terms of how easy it is to play. It really rewards you for playing cleanly. Crazy technical riffage on the low strings sound better than I've ever experienced, so clear and punchy!

I'm in love with this amp. I haven't been able to stop talking about it for a week now. I played the Invader 100 again last night at my store and that thing is a work of art in its own right, but I like the way the Fireball 100 is voiced SOOO much!

 

[DrakkarTyrannis]

So it's more low mid oriented right? I've been looking for a second amp and to be honest I was very impressed with what I've heard from the Fireball 100 so far. I have my eyes set on a 6505+ but it could change.

 

[zimbloth]

So it's more low mid oriented right? I've been looking for a second amp and to be honest I was very impressed with what I've heard from the Fireball 100 so far. I have my eyes set on a 6505+ but it could change.

It's more low-mid oriented than the FB60 yes, but it has plenty of mids across the spectrum. The mids are really aggressive but also smooth at the same time. The problem with the FB60 is that it had a very annoying quacky/honky midrange. The amp was very thin for leads as well relative to rhythm. It also lacked headroom so it had a very 'choked' sound to it at band levels. The FB100 sounds thicker, heavier, smoother, clearer, yet has all the brutality in the mids one could ever need. The bass response is thunderous yet it does not adversely affect the rest of the frequencies when turned up (within reason).

It's important to note, with the 'mid-boost' activated it shifts to a more high-mid sound, so you really can have any sound you want. Personally I keep that off, set the mids to 12 o'clock (where almost all the controls sound best on this amp IMO) and then kick the mid-boost on for leads. It's subtle enough where it doesn't completely alter the tone, but it definitely acts as a nice lead boost. I like the way it sounds in the band mix better than what I was doing with my VHT (simple volume boost for leads).

Forget the 6505 man. Save up for one of these if you can, you won't regret it. Buy one used for all I care. I get that tone is subjective and 6505s are cool, but it's my opinion that it can't hold a candle to this amp. I think 5150 fans would love the FB100. It has the elements which make a good 5150 so appealing, but offers so much more.