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

[Andii]

You said feel free to tell you you're crazy:

This is silly. Not long ago there was much talk about how superior the speakers in VHT cabs were, now you are considering switching to engl cabs because of how they look. They have those V30's in them that you hated so much.

You're crazy.

 

[Hellbound]

Well I have always trusted Zimbloth's advice on this forum and have to believe that if he is loving this amp....then it must sound pretty damn brutal. I've been holding off to buy a Fryette UL for a while because of the price of them but I would much rather spend less for an Engl. I've never been a big fan of the Engl tone but I've read in so many places that the Fireball 100 is voiced totally different from the others.

I think I may order one from you Mr. Z and I just sent ya an email with a question on a cab to go with it. Although I've never been a fan of V30's so I'm thinking FB100/Fry it fat bottom.


Oh just to add and like no-one knows this but the YouTube videos for the Fireball 100's are pretty terrible.....but it's youtube....I usually go there to listen to clips of people playing just to make me feel better about my self as a guitarist.lol.....but I do notice that this amp does sound thick and tight. That's exactly what I am going for especially for my lower tunings on a 7 string.

 

[zimbloth]

Basically It turns out the V5 input stage preamp tube was microphonic so I switched it out with the tube that came with the amp labeled "use as input tube only" whereas the other spare tube that came with the amp says "for use at any position". Long story short and after a quick 5 minute changeout and my first time changing a tube, I can say that my amp is running great and sounds brutal. Im glad I asked in this thread. I didnt want to start a new one. Thanks guys! And as far as the thread, I cant blame you Zimbloth for making the switch. ENGL rules!

I'm glad it all worked out!

You said feel free to tell you you're crazy:

This is silly. Not long ago there was much talk about how superior the speakers in VHT cabs were, now you are considering switching to engl cabs because of how they look. They have those V30's in them that you hated so much.

You're crazy.

Nah man, I'm using the FB100 with my VHT cab still. They are superior to v30s by far, IMO. However the amp is pretty flattering to V30s too so if I was hung up on having a matched look I could deal with it, but I'm sticking with my VHT cab.

Well I have always trusted Zimbloth's advice on this forum and have to believe that if he is loving this amp....then it must sound pretty damn brutal. I've been holding off to buy a Fryette UL for a while because of the price of them but I would much rather spend less for an Engl. I've never been a big fan of the Engl tone but I've read in so many places that the Fireball 100 is voiced totally different from the others.

I think I may order one from you Mr. Z and I just sent ya an email with a question on a cab to go with it. Although I've never been a fan of V30's so I'm thinking FB100/Fry it fat bottom.


Oh just to add and like no-one knows this but the YouTube videos for the Fireball 100's are pretty terrible.....but it's youtube....I usually go there to listen to clips of people playing just to make me feel better about my self as a guitarist.lol.....but I do notice that this amp does sound thick and tight. That's exactly what I am going for especially for my lower tunings on a 7 string.

Thanks man! I hope you love it. And yeah 99.9% of youtube clips are hideous and/or unauthentic. People should take them with a grain of salt.

 

[metalvince333]

Being a vht master (even after all this XD) wich amp you think is best for a tight/full of lows/good clean sound between a vht sig x, vht deliverance 60/120? I have a framus ruby riot im trying to trade for a head and theres a couple of those coming up in my area wich is great cause im used to get lowball offers for my amp like line 6 spider heads.thanks!

 

[Spaced Out Ace]

-coughsigxcough- Goddamn colds. >.<

 

[zimbloth]

Being a vht master (even after all this XD) wich amp you think is best for a tight/full of lows/good clean sound between a vht sig x, vht deliverance 60/120? I have a framus ruby riot im trying to trade for a head and theres a couple of those coming up in my area wich is great cause im used to get lowball offers for my amp like line 6 spider heads.thanks!

They're both very good for that. The Deliverance 120 is tighter than the D60 or the Sig:X. Both the D120 and Sig:X have amazing low-end punch and great cleans. The cleans on the Sig:X are the best of the bunch though. For high-gain stuff, I personally prefer the D120 w/ a boost in front over all the others but the Sig:X is great too.

I have a barley used D120 in stock if you're looking for a killer deal one one.

PS: I still LOVE and own VHT/Fryette amps by the way, I'm just feeling this FB100 right now

 

[metalvince333]

They're both very good for that. The Deliverance 120 is tighter than the D60 or the Sig:X. Both the D120 and Sig:X have amazing low-end punch and great cleans. The cleans on the Sig:X are the best of the bunch though. For high-gain stuff, I personally prefer the D120 w/ a boost in front over all the others but the Sig:X is great too.

I have a barley used D120 in stock if you're looking for a killer deal one one.

PS: I still LOVE and own VHT/Fryette amps by the way, I'm just feeling this FB100 right now

Thanks! theres a d120 open for trades guy there, I may check it out.Im only trying to trade my framus for a head now but Ill be very likely to deal with you in the future for bareknuckles but first Ive got to get a job! Thanks for the quick reply!

 

[zimbloth]

Thanks! theres a d120 open for trades guy there, I may check it out.Im only trying to trade my framus for a head now but Ill be very likely to deal with you in the future for bareknuckles but first Ive got to get a job! Thanks for the quick reply!

No problem, good luck!

 

[Hellbound]

Well, I received the Fireball 100 along with the Fryette 4x12 Fat Bottom which is also the slightly slanted one. I was going to go with the straight fat bottom but Zimbloth recommended me this one so being that he uses the same one I definately went with his advice and glad that I did.
I really suck at reviews but I'll try to make it short and sweet. When I first got everything plugged in a gave the tubes a good 7 to 10 minutes of warm up just leaving it on standby. Now once I finally starting jamming with it I was not immediately impressed......but it definately needed to be tweaked and broken in somewhat.......but let me say this.....in only about 10 minutes of messing around with the amp it came to life and man this is by far the most brutal and tight amp I have ever heard. I honesy cannot imagine any amp no matter what the cost sounding as good as the new Fireball 100.

BTW I am using my Schecter ATX Blackjack which had the SD Blackouts in them so trying to add several amp boosters such as a TS9 and a Bloody Murder pedal is definately overkill....just the guitar straight to the amp is godly. I wanted an amp that had that same hard gain and volume that the 5150 delivers and this one absolutely blows sway the 5150 in every way. It has just as much in fact in my ears more gain which sounds absolutely murderous, and more than enough volume to blow the aluminum siding off my house,lol, not joking here but in our little studio we have in our house playing this amp with it cranked up and I'm talking nit even quite half way the vibration from my hard chugs were making pedals, notebooks, and pictures fall all over the floor. It was hilarious.
I am 200% happy with this amp/cab combo I could nit be any happier.
Like I said I suck at reviews but seriouy anyone looking fir something that will absolutely deliver for death metal.....this is the amp to do it with.
I love how all the knobs are sensitive unlike how my 5150 was nothing seemed to make a difference it was just subtle.....:not with the Engl.

I'll be putting a Bareknuckle Painkiller in my guitar soon can't wait to try that out but as of now I can't imagine this amp sounding better.....Zimbloth is going to have to prove me wrong on this one(and I'm sure he will win......Zimbloth is the kind of person I would never bet against he just always seems to be right) I know I am kissing his ass here but he deserves it he helped me acquire the sound I have been looking for forever.
Obviously I don't get too technical just kind of to the point but the tight bass response is bone crushing. I mean my shirt and whole body vibrates when I chug on those low notes on the B string.
My favorite thing about this amp is how clean and articulate this amp is even with serious gain.......the Fireball will definately reward you if you are a fast picker every note sounds out almost like I am listening to a studio quality mix.......not muddy sounding at all.

Now I did put in about 5 hours on it so far and seriously it's sounding better the with the more time I pit into it. I've been wearing ear plugs fir loud playing to hel

 

[Hellbound]

Just wanted to apologize for all the mispelled words and such......I'm posting using my Iphone and it's also a pain in the arse to edit with this phone as well but I think everyone got the point....plus it's early in the morning and I've been up all night delerious as Hell......again BUY THIS AMP
Also I noticed once the amp was broken in more it is now sounding really nice at low volumes.....completely opposite than most amps such as Mesa Rectos that sound like crap until they are cranked up......obviously it still sounds much better cranked up but I will not be needing a THD hotplate for low volume practicing which is cool.

Also noticed that some of my post did not go through probably too high of a post count but it was mainly just me kissing Zimbloth's ass....but he definately deserves it he helped me acquire the tone I have been seeking for quite some time.

This Amp is the best I get goosebumps from it....it gives me a reason to live.

 

[guitar4tw]

Good review, dude. I'll have to get this amp in addition to my invader some time in the future.

 

[zimbloth]

Well, I received the Fireball 100 along with the Fryette 4x12 Fat Bottom which is also the slightly slanted one. I was going to go with the straight fat bottom but Zimbloth recommended me this one so being that he uses the same one I definately went with his advice and glad that I did.
I really suck at reviews but I'll try to make it short and sweet. When I first got everything plugged in a gave the tubes a good 7 to 10 minutes of warm up just leaving it on standby. Now once I finally starting jamming with it I was not immediately impressed......but it definately needed to be tweaked and broken in somewhat.......but let me say this.....in only about 10 minutes of messing around with the amp it came to life and man this is by far the most brutal and tight amp I have ever heard. I honesy cannot imagine any amp no matter what the cost sounding as good as the new Fireball 100.

BTW I am using my Schecter ATX Blackjack which had the SD Blackouts in them so trying to add several amp boosters such as a TS9 and a Bloody Murder pedal is definately overkill....just the guitar straight to the amp is godly. I wanted an amp that had that same hard gain and volume that the 5150 delivers and this one absolutely blows sway the 5150 in every way. It has just as much in fact in my ears more gain which sounds absolutely murderous, and more than enough volume to blow the aluminum siding off my house,lol, not joking here but in our little studio we have in our house playing this amp with it cranked up and I'm talking nit even quite half way the vibration from my hard chugs were making pedals, notebooks, and pictures fall all over the floor. It was hilarious.
I am 200% happy with this amp/cab combo I could nit be any happier.
Like I said I suck at reviews but seriouy anyone looking fir something that will absolutely deliver for death metal.....this is the amp to do it with.
I love how all the knobs are sensitive unlike how my 5150 was nothing seemed to make a difference it was just subtle.....:not with the Engl.

I'll be putting a Bareknuckle Painkiller in my guitar soon can't wait to try that out but as of now I can't imagine this amp sounding better.....Zimbloth is going to have to prove me wrong on this one(and I'm sure he will win......Zimbloth is the kind of person I would never bet against he just always seems to be right) I know I am kissing his ass here but he deserves it he helped me acquire the sound I have been looking for forever.
Obviously I don't get too technical just kind of to the point but the tight bass response is bone crushing. I mean my shirt and whole body vibrates when I chug on those low notes on the B string.
My favorite thing about this amp is how clean and articulate this amp is even with serious gain.......the Fireball will definately reward you if you are a fast picker every note sounds out almost like I am listening to a studio quality mix.......not muddy sounding at all.

Now I did put in about 5 hours on it so far and seriously it's sounding better the with the more time I pit into it. I've been wearing ear plugs fir loud playing to hel

Just wanted to apologize for all the mispelled words and such......I'm posting using my Iphone and it's also a pain in the arse to edit with this phone as well but I think everyone got the point....plus it's early in the morning and I've been up all night delerious as Hell......again BUY THIS AMP
Also I noticed once the amp was broken in more it is now sounding really nice at low volumes.....completely opposite than most amps such as Mesa Rectos that sound like crap until they are cranked up......obviously it still sounds much better cranked up but I will not be needing a THD hotplate for low volume practicing which is cool.

Also noticed that some of my post did not go through probably too high of a post count but it was mainly just me kissing Zimbloth's ass....but he definately deserves it he helped me acquire the tone I have been seeking for quite some time.

This Amp is the best I get goosebumps from it....it gives me a reason to live.

Awesome dude! I'm so happy you're loving the FB100 and Fat Bottom cab, and thanks for the props. Your review is pretty spot on. Incredibly brutal and thick yet tight and articulate

 

[Larrikin666]

Does anyone here with a Fireball 100 also have the SE? Or at least owned one previously? I finally gave my Fireball a fair shake today, and it just didn't blow me away enough to want to get rid of my SE. I can't quite put my finger on exactly what isn't grabbing me about it.

 

[zimbloth]

Congrats dude I honestly can't believe it after all the Engl hate you spread about here but... HELL YEA! Good tone is good tone, brand names = nothing.

I never had ENGL hate. I had Powerball hate. I always loved the Invader and I liked my old Fireball 60, just didn't love it. But yeah the FB100 is still blowing my mind.

Does anyone here with a Fireball 100 also have the SE? Or at least owned one previously? I finally gave my Fireball a fair shake today, and it just didn't blow me away enough to want to get rid of my SE. I can't quite put my finger on exactly what isn't grabbing me about it.

Do you have the Fireball or Fireball 100? I don't think it's really supposed to make people who like the SE want to get rid of it. It's an entirely different sound and feel

 

[Larrikin666]

Do you have the Fireball or Fireball 100? I don't think it's really supposed to make people who like the SE want to get rid of it. It's an entirely different sound and feel

It's the 100. I was really hoping I'd like it more than my SE, but that just isn't the case. I was also hoping it would be lighter than the SE. It's still super heavy. I imagine it'll be posted for sale sometime in the next couple of days on here. I'll move on to gas'ing for a Savage.

 

[zimbloth]

It's the 100. I was really hoping I'd like it more than my SE, but that just isn't the case. I was also hoping it would be lighter than the SE. It's still super heavy. I imagine it'll be posted for sale sometime in the next couple of days on here. I'll move on to gas'ing for a Savage.

That's cool man, I'm sure it won't be for everyone

Out of curiosity, what cab were you using with it?

 

[Larrikin666]

That's cool man, I'm sure it won't be for everyone

Out of curiosity, what cab were you using with it?

I tried it with my Vader 2x12, Vader 4x12 with the Manowars x Legends, and my Lopo 2x12 with EVM-12L Black Labels.

 

[iff]

Does anyone have any good FB100 audio/video clips?

 

[sami]

Hey Nick, what did you think of the Blackmore?

 

[zimbloth]

Hey Nick, what did you think of the Blackmore?

The Blackmore is really nice, but it's not at all like I expected. I'm still getting used to it. It has great cleans, really great rock tones, and to my surprise it can get super heavy also. Gain and balls is not lacking from the amp whatsoever. That said I've only really been able to play with it for a few minutes, so I'm not yet sure if the way its voiced is 'for me' but I'll find out soon. All of my free time lately has been dedicated to my band (we're trying to wrap up our debut EP in time for our CD release show next month) as well as running the business.

When I have some more time to play with the amp, I'll post up some thoughts and eventually some clips for people to enjoy (but not put too much stock in, for the reasons discussed below!)

Does anyone have any good FB100 audio/video clips?

I've never seen any FB100 clips that were good. 99% of clips for anything are worthless IMO, so I wouldn't even put much stock into that. Recording is a science into itself with infinite variables in play. Anything other than trying out the amp yourself in your own environment with your own guitars is just a total crapshoot.

Just try and read as many reviews as you can, talk to other owners, learn how it differs from other amps, etc and give it a shot. Any ENGL dealer will have some sort of return/exchange policy. If you can find some decent clips, that can't hurt either but take them with a grain of salt. I spent about 4 years trying to find clips of VHTs that sound anything like it does in real life when I'm playing through it, and I'm still looking.

When it comes to amps, I've always just tried to do my homework and make educated purchases and it usually has worked out. I usually buy blind. As long as you get one new or find a used one cheap enough so that you can sell it for what you paid if it doesn't work out, you should be in good shape