NAD: Engl Content

[Wizard of Ozz]

My amp supplies were running low... so... I got these nifty boxes:

I wonder what's inside???




















Hmmm....

All brand-new 2012 Engl Special Edition EL34, Savage 120, and Fireball 100. Can you say "metal"?

I just got the Fireball and Savage today... received the SE last week. I've been busy. I'll just post a few quick random thoughts here and do a more in-depth review later. I've owned the the SE EL34 and Savage 120 before, and for the most part everything is mostly the same. They both still kick-ass for most any kind of metal. A few quick differences from my earlier 2009 models:

SE EL34: More gain, especially on channel 2 & 3. Channel 1 & 2 seem louder overall then before. Much less noise than my previous SE (but this just could be due to the preamp tubes). Still an absolute monster and can cover just about any tone imaginable. Two great high gain channels that cover all your metal needs.

Savage 120: First off, the Savage has a new, and much bigger than before output transformer. It's looks identical to the output transformer in my SE EL34. Great move Engl! This Savage 120 has more volume, more ass, warmth, chunk and good bit more gain than my 2009 model. Also there seems to be a bit more low-end on tap even w/o the depth boost on. My old Savage was run thru a Mills Acoustics Afterburner 4X12 for a little extra low-end kick... this new 2012 Savage does not need that at all. Most likely due to the bigger output transformer. (See pic below). Also the front panel and logo are a dark-metallic gray color... looks much better than the older version IMHO.

Last, but not least...

Fireball 100: This is the amp the Powerball should have sounded like. The Fireball has full-sized 100W output transformers, not the Playschool under-sized transformers found in the Fireball 60 and Powerball versions 1.0 and 2.0. The amp does clean and kill with ease. Mid-gain crunch really isn't it's strong point... but with the gain up on the clean channel you can get some very decent crunch tones. Clean tone are great... and on par with the SE clean channel. The lead channel is the big selling point here. Plenty of gain, bass, and tight-tight-tight bottom end. Engl bills this as a darker/smoother sounding amp... which maybe I agree with to some small degree it is... but it's plenty bright, cutting, with more than enough high-end and upper mids so solos stand-out, and downtunes rhythms don't run all together or get turned in to a big sloopy, muddy mess. Chug away and still have your solos cut. Great modern metal tones in this box. The mid-boost button works as advertised and it like kicking on a good mid-boost Tubescreamer-like pedal. Great for solos. Just really a great amp, and the best bang for the buck of the bunch.

Enough ramblings... more pornz:

New Savage 120 output transformer:

Finally, a group pic:

 

[Lasse Lammert]

good to see that Engl finally starts puting quality components into their amps.
wouldn't mind trying the upgraded Savage

 

[Wizard of Ozz]

good to see that Engl finally starts puting quality components into their amps.
wouldn't mind trying the upgraded Savage

I'd like to hear you do some clips thrus these bad boys. I know they would kick ass.

 

[aviel]

you actually bought three amps in one shot?? and there are people in africa with nothing to eat!!

lol

 

[rispsira]

it definitely would feel great to get 3 amps at once congrats man!!!

Make us some clips

 

[rispsira]

good to see that Engl finally starts puting quality components into their amps.
wouldn't mind trying the upgraded Savage

BTW this is off topic so sorry for hijacking, but i just wanted to say Lasse; we know very well your opinion about engl and the reasons for that, but you never mention Diezel which i guess being in Germany you mustve had thechance to try. so i guess nothing too exciting?

Again sorry for the offtopic

 

[Harry Hughes]

Holy mother of epic NAD thread! Great looking amps man

 

[Clark Kent]

You didn't have to buy these did you?

Nice amps... clips!

 

[Wizard of Ozz]

BTW this is off topic so sorry for hijacking, but i just wanted to say Lasse; we know very well your opinion about engl and the reasons for that, but you never mention Diezel which i guess being in Germany you mustve had thechance to try. so i guess nothing too exciting?

Again sorry for the offtopic

I'm not Lasse... but I have owned the Herbert. It was my main amp for about 6 years. Great amp, but with a compressed, unusual mid-voicing with a dark, low-mid, somewhat scooped focus. I always kept presence at 3:00 to get the goods for me. Not the same bright, edgy aggressive, biting, cutting mids an high-end you get from a Marshall, Engl, Soldano, 5150 etc. Great all around amp, but the mid-voicing would sound off/weird, for lack of better description, after playing my other amps and then going back to the Herbert. Plus, with the mid-cut "off" I didn't dig the tone much... not that scooped mids are a bad thing either. Definitely a unique voicing. All Diezels are really compressed sounding compared to some other high gainers.

Here's from back when I had the Herbert with my old SE and Savage:

 

[Wizard of Ozz]

You didn't have to buy these did you?

Nice amps... clips!

Yup... not a choice really.

 

[aviel]

Yup... not a choice really.

tell me your secret

 

[rispsira]

I'm not Lasse... but I have owned the Herbert. It was my main amp for about 6 years. Great amp, but with a compressed, unusual mid-voicing with a dark, low-mid, somewhat scooped focus. I always kept presence at 3:00 to get the goods for me. Not the same bright, edgy aggressive, biting, cutting mids an high-end you get from a Marshall, Engl, Soldano, 5150 etc. Great all around amp, but the mid-voicing would sound off/weird, for lack of better description, after playing my other amps and then going back to the Herbert. Plus, with the mid-cut "off" I didn't dig the tone much... not that scooped mids are a bad thing either. Definitely a unique voicing. All Diezels are really compressed sounding compared to some other high gainers.

Here's from back when I had the Herbert with my old SE and Savage:

Oh yes I know you arent Lasse that's why i apologised for the hijack my first reply saying congrats was directed to you, then the second one i wanted to quote Lasse who was saying he wouldnt mind checking out the savage with upgraded components.(unless you meant "i know that im not Lasse but ill give you MY opinion" the interentz itz hard 2 tell )

Either way thanks for taking the time detailed reply!! Awesome setups you had/now have!!

 

[Deathell]

I see you've gotten the EL34 version, is there a big difference in preferring EL34 than 6L6s? I'm getting an SE next year so I want to know in terms of ultra brutality, would the 6L6 version be better in that department?

 

[Wizard of Ozz]

I see you've gotten the EL34 version, is there a big difference in preferring EL34 than 6L6s? I'm getting an SE next year so I want to know in terms of ultra brutality, would the 6L6 version be better in that department?

The SE 6L6 will sound more scooped in the mids, with more emphasis on the high and low end. Possibly better for max chugga-chugga rhythm. The SE EL34 has a very aggressive, bold, and biting mid-range voicing to it. Like a super modified Marshall. Both amps have the same preamp, just different power sections... and the EL34 model has a switch inside to use 6L6GC power tubes, if you wish. You really can't use EL34s in the 6L6 model for long periods, due to the different screen resistors and the different output transformer.

I think both are great sounding amps and it's just more about personal taste. Both the EL34 and 6L6 models are ultra heavy and brootal. Channel 4 with the depth boost on, is about as heavy as a guitar amp gets in my book.

 

[Nimvi]

Holy hell, did you sell a kidney? If so, totally worth it I can feel my testosterone-level rising by just looking at that picture...

Cool selection too. The Savage is absolutely beautiful; one of the best amps Engl has put out imo. The Fireball100, altough I haven't played one, is said to have solved a lot of the issues of its older brother. Mainly the severe midscoop that made it drown in live-settings is supposed to be gone with this one. Very interested in this thing.
I haven't ever seen the SE anywhere, but I imagine it to be a versatile beast. The combination of these amps should give you some great tools to work with for any kind of production.

There is only one problem I have with all this: there are no clips! Feed us brootz please, good sir.

 

[aviel]

but why would someone need 3 Engl amps? yeah, each is a little different, but they all the have their engl signature tone. specially with a versatile amp as the SE, why would you need the fireball?

 

[Gnash]

Nice lot! I recently bought a trio of Engls too. I bought the Savage 120, Invader 150, and the Powerball II. All very different tones indeed. I've been swapping out all the tubes in 'em like a madman.haha Does your 2012 Savage have a noise gate? I was told the newer ones would have it. It definately needs one. haha

 

[Wizard of Ozz]

but why would someone need 3 Engl amps? yeah, each is a little different, but they all the have their engl signature tone. specially with a versatile amp as the SE, why would you need the fireball?

They do have some similar qualities... but they each have their own tone going on. The main difference between the Fireball and SE are 6L6GC power amp vs. EL34 power amp. See my above previous post for more info.

 

[Wizard of Ozz]

Nice lot! I recently bought a trio of Engls too. I bought the Savage 120, Invader 150, and the Powerball II. All very different tones indeed. I've been swapping out all the tubes in 'em like a madman.haha Does your 2012 Savage have a noise gate? I was told the newer ones would have it. It definately needs one. haha

Congrats! Killer tone eh?

I almost went with a PBII instead of the FB100... but the simplistic layout appealed to me, especially with the Savage and SE already in the loop.

No gate on my 2012 Savage 120. I don't find mine super noisy per se... but I do have an ISP Decimator just in-case.

Where do you set the channel 3/4 gain knobs? And presence knobs? I have both channel 3/4 gain knobs right around 1:00. I also like to bump up the presence for channel 4 to around 3:00... as it gives you just enough slice for the heavy palm mutes.

 

[Gnash]

I use a Maxon OD 808 in front. Some people can get amazing tone just plugging straight in, but I always have to smooth out that frumpiness in the preamp. On the Savage, I have the overdrive nearly off, with the balance at 12:00. On any other amp, the overdrive and balance is up to 12:00. The gain on ch.4 of the Savage is usually around 12:00-2:00. On all my amps, I have the tone/treble knob between 9:00 and 11:00, depending on the amount of fizz. It's like that for every amp I have from the 5150 to the Invader. I think my ears are making me turn the high end down as an inate hearing defense. haha I just like to dial in a good, tight and chunky, loud tone, that will sing and roar, without piercing my eardrums. My favorite tube, lately, for knocking out fizz is the Jan GE 5751 in V2. I use less gain on the amp, when tracking. I don't have the Decimator yet, I have the NS-2 in front, and the gates on the PB and Invader work great for me. My Savage just hums and buzzes. Quite annoying compared to other amps. My PB had some gnarly fizz, when I first turned it on, but after a few weeks of dialing in and breaking in, it has tamed down nicely. My favorite tones out of all are the Invader/Ch.2 Savage/Ch.4 PBII/Ch.3. If I could have all those channels in one amp with a clean channel 1, I would have the ultimate amp. haha