M/B Roadster -vs- Engl Powerball

[SGB]

Hey everybody! I'm looking for a somewhat long cure for my G.A.S. I know it's possible because I'm happy with my guitars!! LOl! I've pretty much narrowed it down to these 2 amps. I'm not in a band or really plan on being in one in the near future so I'm pretty much just a bedroom player. Good tone at lower volumes definitely counts to me. My favorite tone is John Petrucci's "Score" tone. He used a custom Mark 2C+ preamp through a rectifier power section. I have researched both of these amps myself so I'm asking for opinions. Believe it or not but the Powerball clips that I have heard sound more like that tone then Roadster clips do. The Powerball seems like a hybrid between a Mark series and a Rectifier. Has anybody else made this connection? The price for the Roadster would actually be cheaper then the Powerball (have to pay extra for footswitch). From what I hear the Mesa build quality is FAR superior to the Engl quality. True?? This matters because I really want an amp that I can keep very long term. I would just like to add more amps when possible.

Roadster- Pros=Cheaper, more features, independent controls for all 4 channels, more versatile to grow with me, included footswitch.
Cons= Looser sounding and not as dark as the Powerball, EVERYBODY has a Rectifier!

Powerball- Pros=Tight and DARK! Seems like THE TONE!

Does anybody have experience/owned each of these amps? Any imput would be greatly appreciated!!

 

[technomancer]

Funny you should post this, I've got a Roadster I bought on Saturday that should be here this week. I'll be running it into two Mesa Thiel 1x12 cabs at relatively low volume. I'll let you know my thoughts after I get it. Then again we're after fairly different tones, as I'm looking for something more like This Dying Soul off of ToT.

Something else to keep in mind, and something I'm considering depending how this works out at lower volumes, is that you can use an attenuator to drive the amp so it sounds more like it's cranked.

 

[DeL07]

Powerballs kill EVERYTHING! Like honestly... It's god in an amp!

Craziest tone monster ever, sparkling cleans to the heaviest of the heaviest!

 

[SGB]

Techno,

I love the This Dying Soul tone! I would ideally find something that can do that as well. TOT is my favorite DT album.

 

[Leon]

Funny you should post this, I've got a Roadster I bought on Saturday that should be here this week. I'll be running it into two Mesa Thiel 1x12 cabs at relatively low volume. I'll let you know my thoughts after I get it. Then again we're after fairly different tones, as I'm looking for something more like This Dying Soul off of ToT.

Something else to keep in mind, and something I'm considering depending how this works out at lower volumes, is that you can use an attenuator to drive the amp so it sounds more like it's cranked.

many say they're fine, but the guy who fixes my amps say they're terrible on output transformers. i haven't tried calling Mesa about it, though...

 

[technomancer]

many say they're fine, but the guy who fixes my amps say they're terrible on output transformers. i haven't tried calling Mesa about it, though...

Overall I would say it probably depends on how much attenuation you're using... running it with the master volume all the way up is obviously a bad idea, but if you're running it so you can put your master volume at say 4 instead of 1 I can't see it really hurting anything. As I'm sure you know from the Nomad a little bit of volume knod makes a huge difference in tone. I'd imagine the Roadster is going to be the same way. I'd also guess that something like a Weber with the speaker motor is much less harmful than using a straight resistive load.

Of course I'm no engineer, so who knows

Techno,

I love the This Dying Soul tone! I would ideally find something that can do that as well. TOT is my favorite DT album.

Well, TOT was done 100% on a Road King v1, which as I'm sure you're aware is in the Dual Recto range of amps, just with a few more tube options (the Roadster can do the same tube configurations, but you need to physically change the tubes instead of just throwing a switch). The rest of the album is massively downtuned sixes, but This Dying Soul is actually a seven in B standard.

I should probably be more clear, I don't want to sound like Petrucci (ok, I'd love to, but it ain't gonna happen) but I love the crunch on that album, and that's all Recto. As a bonus the Road King v2 and the Roadster both have the clean channels from a Lone Star, which kicks total ass from a versatility standpoint

 

[Unknown Doodl3.2]

Funny you should post this, I've got a Roadster I bought on Saturday that should be here this week. I'll be running it into two Mesa Thiel 1x12 cabs at relatively low volume. I'll let you know my thoughts after I get it. Then again we're after fairly different tones, as I'm looking for something more like This Dying Soul off of ToT.

Something else to keep in mind, and something I'm considering depending how this works out at lower volumes, is that you can use an attenuator to drive the amp so it sounds more like it's cranked.

so you leaned towards the roadster in the end eh? Cool! Let's hear some clips when you get it, though I'm not in a position to ask for anything, I still haven't gotten pics of the Mark IV

 

[eviltoaster]

engls are very very popular in germany,you can get a used powerball for abot 1100€s including footswitch only critics here are the pcb-building (mesa does this too...and diezel...vht..),but normally they are very reliable.known non-reliable amps here are the diezel herbert for example.

 

[999dead666]

get the power ball man

 

[eaeolian]

Cons= Looser sounding and not as dark as the Powerball, EVERYBODY has a Rectifier!

I actually thought the Roadster I played was quite different from a Dual - more like the Road King, which makes sense - with the right setup, it was very tight and vicious, even with V30s (which I really don't like ).

I think the Mesa being "looser" issue will go away for you once it's dialed in, although the Mesa preamp "bloom" is definitely different from the Powerball's - the Mesa's much more organic to me.

For what it's worth, I've given serious consideration to selling my TripleRec and getting a Roadster.

 

[technomancer]

so you leaned towards the roadster in the end eh? Cool! Let's hear some clips when you get it, though I'm not in a position to ask for anything, I still haven't gotten pics of the Mark IV

Well actually it just sort of worked out that way... I was bidding on a Mark IV short head, but the auction ended while I was at a hockey game. Needless to say I lost, but when I did searches I came across the Roadster in like-new condition with a decent BIN so I jumped on it. As for clips, at some point after I buy a mic

There will however definitely be pics once it gets here

I actually thought the Roadster I played was quite different from a Dual - more like the Road King, which makes sense - with the right setup, it was very tight and vicious, even with V30s (which I really don't like ).

That makes a lot of sense as it pretty much is the Road King without the Progressive Linkage

 

[eaeolian]

Well actually it just sort of worked out that way... I was bidding on a Mark IV short head, but the auction ended while I was at a hockey game. Needless to say I lost, but when I did searches I came across the Roadster in like-new condition with a decent BIN so I jumped on it. As for clips, at some point after I buy a mic

There will however definitely be pics once it gets here

Excellent!

That makes a lot of sense as it pretty much is the Road King without the Progressive Linkage

Yeah, it's not exactly the same, but close. Then again, that may just be tube differences...

 

[Loserchief]

Roadster- Pros=Cheaper, more features, independent controls for all 4 channels, more versatile to grow with me, included footswitch.
Cons= Looser sounding and not as dark as the Powerball, EVERYBODY has a Rectifier!

Powerball- Pros=Tight and DARK! Seems like THE TONE!

Does anybody have experience/owned each of these amps? Any imput would be greatly appreciated!!

I own a Powerball and played the Roadster.
Imo the PB isn't dark at all. Engls are pretty bright amps by nature and are pretty aggressive. What makes most of the clips sound dark is the fact that most of them are played with heavy droptuning what gives the image of a dark amp. What makes the PB so great for droptuned playing is it's natural brightness and the ultimate tightness it has. Also the two EQs on it are more than enough for pretty much anything(especially when considering that there are other switches to shape the tone too). You won't run out of tone with a PB.

The roadster has the same problem most mesas have too my ears. no matter how i dial them in they always sound darker and more loose than i'd prefer. it's a great and versetaille amp but imo it depends on which tuning range you use.

 

[sakeido]

I actually thought the Roadster I played was quite different from a Dual - more like the Road King, which makes sense - with the right setup, it was very tight and vicious, even with V30s (which I really don't like ).

I think the Mesa being "looser" issue will go away for you once it's dialed in, although the Mesa preamp "bloom" is definitely different from the Powerball's - the Mesa's much more organic to me.

For what it's worth, I've given serious consideration to selling my TripleRec and getting a Roadster.

The key for getting a Rectifier to sound good, is EL34 power tubes, and a boost pedal in front of the amp. I am not sure how well that will work with a Roadster - your clean channels might suffer a bit. The boost is the biggest part though.

 

[eaeolian]

The key for getting a Rectifier to sound good, is EL34 power tubes, and a boost pedal in front of the amp. I am not sure how well that will work with a Roadster - your clean channels might suffer a bit. The boost is the biggest part though.

Ugh. I hate the Recto with EL34s.

 

[sakeido]

Ugh. I hate the Recto with EL34s.

Really? I hated mine with 6L6s

 

[noodles]

Yeah, I'm not a fan of EL-34s either, but that is more a product of the type of music I play. They're fine for the blues/rock thing.

I think the main problem with Rectos is the V30's everyone (including Mesa) wants to pair them with. In my experience, no speaker is better at sounding dark, mushy, and overly sharp at the same time. The low end is way too loose, and the upper mids will stab you in the face. It's like putting economy radials on an F1 car.

 

[eaeolian]

It's like putting economy radials on an F1 car.

Nice.

A lot of guys love 'em, but, yeah, I don't get it.

As for EL34s, I like them for other things. I didn't like the Dual with them in it at all.

 

[SGB]

Bump

 

[Oogadee Boogadee]

For what it's worth, I've given serious consideration to selling my TripleRec and getting a Roadster.

if you do go that route, would you trade me your triple for my 2ch dual, and sell that instead, if the used price for both are the same?