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

[yacker]

That's cool Justen. I love the Invader 100 also. I still hope to be able to try it with my rig sometime. And no I've never tried the Steve Morse, how do you think it differs from the other models? I may be getting a Blackmore in soon, hows that one?

Either they didn't have the Blackmore in the store I was demo'ing amps at or I just didn't see it, so I can't really comment for sure on that one. There are some forum members here who own them though.

As for the Morse, it has been many months since I was in the store, but from what I remember it was a very open sounding heavily midrange focused amp. 3 channels, channel 1 was chimey clean (as good or better then the invader), channel two was very similar to channel 2 on the invader, british rock to heavy metal territory, and channel 3 was the unique one. Channel 3 was a very open and uncompressed high gain sound with all these midi switchable mid range knobs. The engl website lists it as a "MID CONTROL MATRIX with 8 different Midrange voicings" but I don't remember all the ins and outs of the system. I'd say it was definitely an amp voiced for a lead guitar player, while still holding it's own for rhythm riffing.

When I left the store I was favoring the Invader due to the extra channel and relative ease of setting up each channel, while my friend who came along for the trip was heavily favoring the Morse (and he spent more time playing and tweaking the Morse). In the end it really could have gone either way.

 

[zimbloth]

Either they didn't have the Blackmore in the store I was demo'ing amps at or I just didn't see it, so I can't really comment for sure on that one. There are some forum members here who own them though.

As for the Morse, it has been many months since I was in the store, but from what I remember it was a very open sounding heavily midrange focused amp. 3 channels, channel 1 was chimey clean (as good or better then the invader), channel two was very similar to channel 2 on the invader, british rock to heavy metal territory, and channel 3 was the unique one. Channel 3 was a very open and uncompressed high gain sound with all these midi switchable mid range knobs. The engl website lists it as a "MID CONTROL MATRIX with 8 different Midrange voicings" but I don't remember all the ins and outs of the system. I'd say it was definitely an amp voiced for a lead guitar player, while still holding it's own for rhythm riffing.

When I left the store I was favoring the Invader due to the extra channel and relative ease of setting up each channel, while my friend who came along for the trip was heavily favoring the Morse (and he spent more time playing and tweaking the Morse). In the end it really could have gone either way.

As a fan of midrange tones I'll definitely have to spend some time with the next Steve Morse head I get in stock, sounds cool. I'm intrigued by the Blackmore due to its simplicity and low price.

As for the Invader 100, I really love it but it's not quite right for me just yet, however I haven't tried it with any of my own guitars yet and I also haven't tried it with a boost yet (an essential part of my rig). Here are some of my thoughts:

I love the Invader's clean tones. I think channel 1 with the bright switch on and the treble backed down a hair and a hint of gain is truly magical. My friend brought over his INCREDIBLE Malekko 'Spring Chicken' reverb pedal (honestly, an incredible unit) and it sounded just utterly ridiculous. Sadly the Fireball 100's cleans are okay at best. That's fine because while I play clean a lot on my own time, with my band it's pretty much always high-gain (or I get semi-clean tones with my volume knob).

I love channel 2's voicing for rock. If I was in a rock band, I think I'd spend most of my time on channel 2. Great for just about everything except for most metal.

Channel 3 is my favorite for metal, and a bad tone seemingly can't be dialed in even if you try. However, it doesn't quite have the brutality of the Fireball 100, but maybe if I used it with a boost in front it would be right there. Just straight into the amp it's not quite tight or growly enough for me. It's a good heavy rock sound or Opeth-type metal sound, but I still feel like it needs a boost in order to do the kind of stuff I would. Alas, I haven't been able to try it with a boost yet as I'm sold out of the MXR GT-ODs (and I keep for getting to bring mine to the store).

Channel 4 I hate honetly, just like channel 3 on the Diezel Herbert. I get that its supposed to be the lead channel but I just don't like how overly saturated it sounds. Maybe with single coil pickups like on a Tele it would be great, but with hums it just seems over the top. What are your thoughts on channel 4 Justen? Again, a boost could solve all these problems.

 

[yacker]

My sentiments on the first three channels pretty much echo yours. I love channel 1 for everything from sparkly cleans to pushed tweed sounds. Channel 2 is easily the most versatile channel on the amp. I love the mid gain sounds I can get with it in low gain mode, but if you throw on the high gain switch it jumps right into a more modern territory. For a while I was midi switching between the high and low gain modes on channel 2 but eventually decided it wasn't necessary since channel 3 excels at the high gain and channel 2 excels at mid gain.

Channel 3 when eq'd to 12 o'clock on all three knobs I found to be more scooped then I like. I tend to run the mids quite high to negate that, the lows turned down a good bit, and then I tend to fumble between the treble and master presence knobs to find the right spot for me in the mix. I always run that channel in high gain mode and in bright mode, which is one of those theoretical improvements the 100 is supposed to have over the 150. The 150 isn't supposed to allow the bright switch on channels 3 or 4, while the 100 is. It's hard to find any official documentation on this though, because both models share the same manual. On my amp the effect is subtle but toggling the bright switch does have an effect on those channels.

As far as adding a boost goes, I really can't comment as I've been using a midi controlled rig, of some sort, for many years now and have grown to despise pedals because they add to me having to tap dance on stage vs the ability to change 12 thing with the change of one midi preset. I'd love to get an effects unit like the axe fx that supports the 4-cable method though and maybe that would show me I've been missing out. I have read that the Invader responds well to boosts though.

As for channel 4, that was easily the most difficult channel to dial in. When I played it at the store it more or less sold me on the amp though. The amp I played prior to the Invader was an older Mesa Mark series, and those are known for their smooth lead sounds, but it just wasn't cutting it for rhythm. So I was terrified I wouldn't find an amp that could mirror the leads I already had. Well when setup properly (and it may take some time) using channel 4 for that sort of lead easily matches or exceeds my old mesa. I think it's really just a balancing act between finding the right eq setting to balance with the amount of gain dialed in depending on whether the higain switch is on or off. It's very easy to over-saturate because it has GOBS of gain. I don't even use hot pickups and it can get over-saturated. I've had the most luck running the gain down very low while having the high gain switch on, then running the bass fairly high, mids at about noon, and treble pretty low. I'm also going for a moderately saturated sound too though.

I'd say give channel 4 some time and you may like it, it just took me longer then any other channel to dial in.

 

[zimbloth]

My sentiments on the first three channels pretty much echo yours. I love channel 1 for everything from sparkly cleans to pushed tweed sounds. Channel 2 is easily the most versatile channel on the amp. I love the mid gain sounds I can get with it in low gain mode, but if you throw on the high gain switch it jumps right into a more modern territory. For a while I was midi switching between the high and low gain modes on channel 2 but eventually decided it wasn't necessary since channel 3 excels at the high gain and channel 2 excels at mid gain.

Channel 3 when eq'd to 12 o'clock on all three knobs I found to be more scooped then I like. I tend to run the mids quite high to negate that, the lows turned down a good bit, and then I tend to fumble between the treble and master presence knobs to find the right spot for me in the mix. I always run that channel in high gain mode and in bright mode, which is one of those theoretical improvements the 100 is supposed to have over the 150. The 150 isn't supposed to allow the bright switch on channels 3 or 4, while the 100 is. It's hard to find any official documentation on this though, because both models share the same manual. On my amp the effect is subtle but toggling the bright switch does have an effect on those channels.

As far as adding a boost goes, I really can't comment as I've been using a midi controlled rig, of some sort, for many years now and have grown to despise pedals because they add to me having to tap dance on stage vs the ability to change 12 thing with the change of one midi preset. I'd love to get an effects unit like the axe fx that supports the 4-cable method though and maybe that would show me I've been missing out. I have read that the Invader responds well to boosts though.

As for channel 4, that was easily the most difficult channel to dial in. When I played it at the store it more or less sold me on the amp though. The amp I played prior to the Invader was an older Mesa Mark series, and those are known for their smooth lead sounds, but it just wasn't cutting it for rhythm. So I was terrified I wouldn't find an amp that could mirror the leads I already had. Well when setup properly (and it may take some time) using channel 4 for that sort of lead easily matches or exceeds my old mesa. I think it's really just a balancing act between finding the right eq setting to balance with the amount of gain dialed in depending on whether the higain switch is on or off. It's very easy to over-saturate because it has GOBS of gain. I don't even use hot pickups and it can get over-saturated. I've had the most luck running the gain down very low while having the high gain switch on, then running the bass fairly high, mids at about noon, and treble pretty low. I'm also going for a moderately saturated sound too though.

I'd say give channel 4 some time and you may like it, it just took me longer then any other channel to dial in.

Great post, I'll give it a try. I have a feeling I would grow to like it more if I spend more time with it. Everything you said rings true, however I still don't think I'd get one since my needs are so basic with my band. If I had a side-project that required more versatility I would definitely get the Invader (or perhaps a H&K Triamp MKII, which I love). I play a lot of diverse styles when noodling alone but my band is pretty much 100% heavy. The mid-boost on the Fireball 100 and the fx loop off/on gives me what I need for my lead tones.

 

[El Caco]

Does this mean Engl will be FOTM again? Good I was getting sick of everyone buying those Digicrap thingies.

I found the amount of discussion about VHT in this thread funny, everyone knows Fryette is where it is at

 

[JJ Rodriguez]

We'll see S7eve, I'll get to try me some Engl's this weekend, see if I'll need to sell off my rig and start over

 

[7 Dying Trees]

Does this mean Engl will be FOTM again? Good I was getting sick of everyone buying those Digicrap thingies.

I found the amount of discussion about VHT in this thread funny, everyone knows Fryette is where it is at

I think we should start a movement to make Gorilla amps FOTM

 

[yacker]

I think we should start a movement to make Gorilla amps FOTM

 

[tacotiklah]

I think we should start a movement to make Gorilla amps FOTM

If slash plays one it should be FOTM..... /being a smart-ass

 

[leonardo7]

So I received my ENGL Fireball 100 yesterday and played it at practice last night through my Mesa 4x12. Remember Im used to a Mesa Triple Rec and we all know how touchy and extreme the EQ dials are on those. I didnt realize that with the ENGL I needed to crank the EQs so I played it at practice with the dials set basically how I have em set on my Mesa only to realize after getting home and playing it more that in order to make the amp sound real mean I need to have the bass and treble nearly at "10" whereas on my Mesa I barely need to go past 1-2 o clock. Im really looking forward to bringing it back to practice in a few days to get a better feel for it in the live mix. After all, it will take me a few days to get it perfectly dialed in therefore a few days to have a truly accurate description of it. I just got it yesterday! So far, I like it alot. I agree with everything positive said in this thread about it. It has a tone I like and has a real punchy and very mid heavy voicing. We are so loud at practice I wish it was more than only 100 watts though. Im really excited to have something different. The tone is downright mean. My fav features are the two master volume settings. The noise gate absolutely silences all hiss and white noise coming from the speakers its amazing. It doesnt cut feedback though, just the amp hiss and white noise. A very user friendly amp with great tone and a very tight sound. Not quite the power of my 150 watt Triple Rec and perhaps not quite a tight sound on the extreme lows at high volumes because of it but a real mean tone with very punchy mids that come alive perhaps more than the Mesa. Dont get me wrong, 100 watts is enough for most and definitely enough for me if I am going through a PA but trust me, we are LOUD at practice. The tone is awesome on this thing, aggressive and tight enough. Im digging it alot.

 

[zimbloth]

So I received my ENGL Fireball 100 yesterday and played it at practice last night through my Mesa 4x12. Remember Im used to a Mesa Triple Rec and we all know how touchy and extreme the EQ dials are on those. I didnt realize that with the ENGL I needed to crank the EQs so I played it at practice with the dials set basically how I have em set on my Mesa only to realize after getting home and playing it more that in order to make the amp sound real mean I need to have the bass and treble nearly at "10" whereas on my Mesa I barely need to go past 1-2 o clock. Im really looking forward to bringing it back to practice in a few days to get a better feel for it in the live mix. After all, it will take me a few days to get it perfectly dialed in therefore a few days to have a truly accurate description of it. I just got it yesterday! So far, I like it alot. I agree with everything positive said in this thread about it. It has a tone I like and has a real punchy and very mid heavy voicing. We are so loud at practice I wish it was more than only 100 watts though. Im really excited to have something different. The tone is downright mean. My fav features are the two master volume settings. The noise gate absolutely silences all hiss and white noise coming from the speakers its amazing. It doesnt cut feedback though, just the amp hiss and white noise. A very user friendly amp with great tone and a very tight sound. Not quite the power of my 150 watt Triple Rec and perhaps not quite a tight sound on the extreme lows at high volumes because of it but a real mean tone with very punchy mids that come alive perhaps more than the Mesa. Dont get me wrong, 100 watts is enough for most and definitely enough for me if I am going through a PA but trust me, we are LOUD at practice. The tone is awesome on this thing, aggressive and tight enough. Im digging it alot.

I'm glad you dig the FB100 man, but are you saying you need to have the settings at "10" as in 10 o'clock or maxed out? If you meant maxed out, something is SERIOUSLY wrong with either your amp, your gear, or your ears (hah). Everything at around 12 o'clock on the Fireball 100 is about just right. Moving it down a little or up a little gives a lot of range, but any extreme settings are pretty overkill.

Also, the Fireball 100 is one of the loudest amps I've ever heard dude. If you're saying you wish it were louder, again... haha.. .that's insanity. You might have some serious hearing loss going on. You shouldn't need 150W for rehearsals bro (or anything really). If your tone isn't cutting through in a band mix to the point where you need a louder amp than the FB100, I'd perhaps invest in better pickups and/or speakers. We play with a LOUD drummer who uses blaring triggers and all kinds of shit, and I only need to have the amp master around 11 o'oclock (with the channel volume around noon) to slice right through.

I'm not trying to pick on you here, but something just seems off there if (a) you're saying you need to max out ANY of the controls or (b) the FB100 isn't loud enough. Might be something wrong with the powertubes or something else going on with your rig if that's the case.

 

[Sepultorture]

this amp is MORE than loud enough, i was just playing it earlier today, and yeah i had the presence at noon, gain at noon, EQ-ed to taste, and set the volume to what ever levels i needed it at.

funny thing today actually, i went with a friend to show him Cosmo music and jammed on the FB100 and the XXL cab. dialed in my usual settings for this amp and was immediately dumbfounded at why it didn't sound as good as it did last time, still had a blast, but i was like WTF?. well stupid arse me i'm setting up the invader and Pro 4x12 cab for a friend, he likes it by the way, and i notice at the back of the XXL cab that it's in Stereo, so i switch to mono, and start playing my axe thru the FB100 and XXL, and BAM, there it was, tight brutal and fucking amazing.

i am for sure buying one of these amps, maybe next year, the debts need my attention now, damn debts

 

[DrakkarTyrannis]

I'm glad you dig the FB100 man, but are you saying you need to have the settings at "10" as in 10 o'clock or maxed out? If you meant maxed out, something is SERIOUSLY wrong with either your amp, your gear, or your ears (hah). Everything at around 12 o'clock on the Fireball 100 is about just right. Moving it down a little or up a little gives a lot of range, but any extreme settings are pretty overkill.

Also, the Fireball 100 is one of the loudest amps I've ever heard dude. If you're saying you wish it were louder, again... haha.. .that's insanity. You might have some serious hearing loss going on. You shouldn't need 150W for rehearsals bro (or anything really). If your tone isn't cutting through in a band mix to the point where you need a louder amp than the FB100, I'd perhaps invest in better pickups and/or speakers. We play with a LOUD drummer who uses blaring triggers and all kinds of shit, and I only need to have the amp master around 11 o'oclock (with the channel volume around noon) to slice right through.

I'm not trying to pick on you here, but something just seems off there if (a) you're saying you need to max out ANY of the controls or (b) the FB100 isn't loud enough. Might be something wrong with the powertubes or something else going on with your rig if that's the case.

This

Not to mention wattage doesn't equal volume. A Recto isn't any louder than the FB because of the wattage. Not cutting through is a mids issue usually. You don't need stratusphere damaging volume to be heard as much as you need the right combination or gear and EQing.

 

[leonardo7]

I'm glad you dig the FB100 man, but are you saying you need to have the settings at "10" as in 10 o'clock or maxed out? If you meant maxed out, something is SERIOUSLY wrong with either your amp, your gear, or your ears (hah). Everything at around 12 o'clock on the Fireball 100 is about just right. Moving it down a little or up a little gives a lot of range, but any extreme settings are pretty overkill.

Also, the Fireball 100 is one of the loudest amps I've ever heard dude. If you're saying you wish it were louder, again... haha.. .that's insanity. You might have some serious hearing loss going on. You shouldn't need 150W for rehearsals bro (or anything really). If your tone isn't cutting through in a band mix to the point where you need a louder amp than the FB100, I'd perhaps invest in better pickups and/or speakers. We play with a LOUD drummer who uses blaring triggers and all kinds of shit, and I only need to have the amp master around 11 o'oclock (with the channel volume around noon) to slice right through.

I'm not trying to pick on you here, but something just seems off there if (a) you're saying you need to max out ANY of the controls or (b) the FB100 isn't loud enough. Might be something wrong with the powertubes or something else going on with your rig if that's the case.

When I was at practice I had pretty much everything around noon with treble and presence at maybe 1 'o clock and mids a bit lower than noon. After I got home I looked at the owners manual and I kid you not it has settings for "metal rhythm" with the gain, bass and treble to be set to 10 as in maxed out! So I tried this at bedroom volume levels late last night and it sounded amazing. Great bedroom level amp! And more! Today after work I came home and cranked it up with those settings and it was way overkill so agreed there. Im still dumbfounded why the recommended settings by ENGL state that for metal rhythm the gain, bass and treble should be set to max! Also, we practice in a small room and I dont think there is enough room for the air to be pushed to fill the space with sound so that could explain why I felt is was not loud enough. In addition, the drums and bass just bounce all over the place making it really hard for me to be heard in the mix at nearly any volume, even with my 150 watt Mesa sometimes. We are about to foam and carpet the walls. Anyways, Im still experimenting with this amps settings. Its a beast and has an absolutley ridiculously amazing tone for metal. I just need to find that sweet spot. Im almost there.

 

[El Caco]

Im still dumbfounded why the recommended settings by ENGL state that for metal rhythm the gain, bass and treble should be set to max!

Engl has jokes! Read what I quoted back again and think about it.

 

[Stickley]

I recently just made the switch to Engl (Powerball 100) and I love it. I was trying to decide between a Mesa Rec or the Engl. I played the Engl and really liked it. Later, I played a Mesa Triple Rec that was brand new. I went back the next day and bought the Engl.

 

[Samer]

Quick question guys, i know the Powerball / Fireball 60 didn't have a switchable FX loop via floor pedal;

did they change this with the Fireball 100?

 

[leonardo7]

After several days of going back and forth with an a/b switch, the ENGL Fireball 100 has amazing tone and a KILLER tone for leads and very tight and aggressive tone for metal (I absolutley love it), but it doesnt even come close to the huge bottom end my Mesa Triple Rec has on a low palm muted B. the Mesa just has a huge tight bottom Ive yet to hear from another amp. The ENGL fireball 100 does however, sound better for screaming leads and might have a better tone at lower volumes but at higher volumes its a tough choice to make. The ENGLs mid voicing gives it an incredible tone that the Mesa doesnt have though. Just wanted to clarify that from someone who owns both and uses them in a live mix at very high volumes.

 

[Sepultorture]

After several days of going back and forth with an a/b switch, the ENGL Fireball 100 has amazing tone and a KILLER tone for leads and very tight and aggressive tone for metal (I absolutley love it), but it doesnt even come close to the huge bottom end my Mesa Triple Rec has on a low palm muted B. the Mesa just has a huge tight bottom Ive yet to hear from another amp. The ENGL fireball 100 does however, sound better for screaming leads and might have a better tone at lower volumes but at higher volumes its a tough choice to make. The ENGLs mid voicing gives it an incredible tone that the Mesa doesnt have though. Just wanted to clarify that from someone who owns both and uses them in a live mix at very high volumes.

dude, pop that FB100 on top of an ENGL XXL 4x12 cab and you can say bye bye mesa, cus it will kill it for bottom end and low end tightness, gauranteed

mesa's might have more channels, but this thing has THE tone for tight brutal shit, i still wouldn't say this is for everyone, but almost everyone . my qualm with the FB100 is not having a separate EQ for the clean channel, i don't care about having a middle ground channel like the mesa's, but with the right cab this ENGL head can eat up any mesa for breakfast in the low end department

 

[zimbloth]

After several days of going back and forth with an a/b switch, the ENGL Fireball 100 has amazing tone and a KILLER tone for leads and very tight and aggressive tone for metal (I absolutley love it), but it doesnt even come close to the huge bottom end my Mesa Triple Rec has on a low palm muted B. the Mesa just has a huge tight bottom Ive yet to hear from another amp. The ENGL fireball 100 does however, sound better for screaming leads and might have a better tone at lower volumes but at higher volumes its a tough choice to make. The ENGLs mid voicing gives it an incredible tone that the Mesa doesnt have though. Just wanted to clarify that from someone who owns both and uses them in a live mix at very high volumes.

Really? I think the Fireball has a much tighter, yet massive low-end than any Recto I've played. With the bass on '3' and the deep switch engaged, I'm hearing reports it caused that Earthquake in Chile. Perhaps yours has some crappy tubes or something. What cabinet are you using?

The Triple Rec is definitely badass BTW, but the Fireball 100 has crazy bottom end. More so than any amp I've ever owned. I never turn it above 10 o'clock with my band.