Savage vs Powerball

[JJO]

Thanks for thinking along Metaltastic Constantly i was only thinking about the size of the cabinet which is equal for both cabs. But since i read your other post it stopped me from ordering those v30's in an instant I checked out the engl website and yes.. you were right, just totally overlooked the material selection. 14 times folded Siberian Birch plywood huh! Anyway guess i'll go snoop around some more on the internet for the reactions on this cab thing

 

[SickBoy]

The Blackmore signature top sounds very good too.

It always amazes me how this amp gets bypassed so easily...
There may be dozens of posts of Powerball (or Mudball, as it's frequently referred to) bashing and/or Invader/SE/Savage appraisals, but Blackmore is almost nowhere to be found...

I wonder what's the cause to that... Is it the name, which feels too rnr to play mean metal or it's sound doesn't match the one people here look for?

 

[Djabthrash]

It always amazes me how this amp gets bypassed so easily...
There may be dozens of posts of Powerball (or Mudball, as it's frequently referred to) bashing and/or Invader/SE/Savage appraisals, but Blackmore is almost nowhere to be found...

I wonder what's the cause to that... Is it the name, which feels too rnr to play mean metal or it's sound doesn't match the one people here look for?

Same. I think you said it yourself, the Blackmore is kickass but for most people it's considered as a rock amp in the first place (the name "Ritchie Blackmore" does not sound so metal...), whereas PB/savage/SE/Invader are considered made for metal. I love the Blackmore (though my SE sounds awesome )

 

[SickBoy]

Same. I think you said it yourself, the Blackmore is kickass but for most people it's considered as a rock amp in the first place (the name "Ritchie Blackmore" does not sound so metal...)

Now you reminded me of my friends reaction to me saying I'll be buying Blackmore...
"Oh, nice! What overdrive will you use to push it?"
I'm like confused "What do you mean 'what OD'?!"
"Well, I suppose it won't have enough gain without it..."
That's where I laughed out loud, the guy obviously thought it's some kind of a Plexi clone since it has Blackmore's name on it
And I'm sure he's not the only one

I love the Blackmore (though my SE sounds awesome )

You own both? Lucky bastard
Was it "love the Blackmore" as in "different from SE, but equally awesome in its own right" or "great amp, but not nearly as awesome as SE"?

Never got the chance to play an SE, it's too expensive for the folks around here to own...

 

[Djabthrash]

You own both? Lucky bastard
Was it "love the Blackmore" as in "different from SE, but equally awesome in its own right" or "great amp, but not nearly as awesome as SE"?

Never got the chance to play an SE, it's too expensive for the folks around here to own...

I don't own both... i'm a bastard for owning a SE though

Actually the Blackmore is the first ENGL amp i've ever heard, years ago (a friend of mine, former guitar player from the French metal band EYELESS owned, and i loved how it sounded in the room during rehearsals as well as on their EP). I tried one from another friend of mine and liked it a lot. I also tried it a couple of times in a shop and loved it, and it had way enough gain to do some brutal grind/death/power/metal/whatever.

I've tried the Savage 120 SE as well as the Powerball and Fireball as well when i was thinking about buying an amp (the Invader wasn't out at that time), and i didn't dislike the PB/FB (don't remember the Savage 120 Se so well, apart form the tons of knobs/switches ), they sounded fine, but i preferred the Blackmore, until i tried the SE... oh my god.

I planned to buy a Powerball or a blackmore at first but after i tried the SE (did an amp shoutout in a shop during 2 hours) and the guy from the shop told me it was 2,000 €, second-hand from a friend of his who hardly used it, i went for the SE, and don't regret it so far. So i'm not filthy-rich, i just had a badass opportunity to get an SE for 2,000 €. I can't be unlucky all the time !

If i was to buy another amp, I'd try the Blackmore and the Invader again (I've tried it when i bought my Schecter) and choose one of those i guess, but from my experience the PB/FB sound great as well, i just prefer the SE/Invader/RB (don't know the Savage so well, I'd like to try it again).

 

[SickBoy]

I don't own both... i'm a bastard for owning a SE though

Damn right you are

I planned to buy a Powerball or a blackmore at first but after i tried the SE (did an amp shoutout in a shop during 2 hours) and the guy from the shop told me it was 2,000 €, second-hand from a friend of his who hardly used it, i went for the SE, and don't regret it so far. So i'm not filthy-rich, i just had a badass opportunity to get an SE for 2,000 €. I can't be unlucky all the time !

That really was a lucky strike! Glad for you, I'd probably do the same in your place, even though it's 50% more expensive than Blackmore, but as you say, it's a badass opportunity at almost half the price of a new one.

If i was to buy another amp, I'd try the Blackmore and the Invader again (I've tried it when i bought my Schecter) and choose one of those i guess, but from my experience the PB/FB sound great as well, i just prefer the SE/Invader/RB (don't know the Savage so well, I'd like to try it again).

Engl has an interesting product line, I'll definitely try other amps out, although I really dig the simplicity (all the bells and whistels on SE are in fact a turnoff for me) and the sound of my RB. But you never know, maybe I'll lose my head over some other amp and sell this one

 

[Chryst Krispies]

(the name "Ritchie Blackmore" does not sound so metal...),

 

[Djabthrash]

ok i meant it doesn't sound like what most people call "metal" NOWADAYS...

For somebody who thinks metal is bands like Pantera, Metallica, Sepultura, Cannibal Corpse... then Deep Purple/Black Sabbath are "old school heavy metal/rock bands" to him.

When somebody says "i play metal" nowadays, i think he's playing stuff like Slayer/metallica/iron maiden/sepultura/pantera/... more than Black Sabbath/Deep Purple/etc.

 

[6in6flames6]

Could someone try and describe whats different about the blackmore to the other engls? I barely ever see anything about it other than a few people like it. So far I can tell it has enough gain for what i'd want but whats the voicing like? How tight is it?

 

[Chryst Krispies]

ok i meant it doesn't sound like what most people call "metal" NOWADAYS...

For somebody who thinks metal is bands like Pantera, Metallica, Sepultura, Cannibal Corpse... then Deep Purple/Black Sabbath are "old school heavy metal/rock bands" to him.

When somebody says "i play metal" nowadays, i think he's playing stuff like Slayer/metallica/iron maiden/sepultura/pantera/... more than Black Sabbath/Deep Purple/etc.

Yeah I get what you ment I was just busting balls cause I'm a Blackmore fan ha.

 

[Djabthrash]

Could someone try and describe whats different about the blackmore to the other engls? I barely ever see anything about it other than a few people like it. So far I can tell it has enough gain for what i'd want but whats the voicing like? How tight is it?

AFAIR : quite organic, less gain (>more usable gain), more simple, less modern, tons of attitude, still tight as fuck, and great clean sound as well. Think like a very clear + tight as fuck hot-rodded JCM800.

When i tried the blackmore i jammed on some Down / Dying Fetus / Pantera / Madball / Sepultura / Merauder tunes and it all sounded awesome. A friend of mine is using it for a stoner/doom/rock/sludge band and it sounds great also.

 

[Djabthrash]

Yeah I get what you ment I was just busting balls cause I'm a Blackmore fan ha.

haha ok

I was thinking you were like : "oh my god this douchebag seems not to know who Ritchie Blackmore/Deep Purple is"

 

[6in6flames6]

AFAIR : quite organic, less gain (>more usable gain), more simple, less modern, tons of attitude, still tight as fuck, and great clean sound as well. Think like a very clear + tight as fuck hot-rodded JCM800.

When i tried the blackmore i jammed on some Down / Dying Fetus / Pantera / Madball / Sepultura / Merauder tunes and it all sounded awesome. A friend of mine is using it for a stoner/doom/rock/sludge band and it sounds great also.

Nice one, cheers mate

 

[The Unavoidable]

Speaking of the blackmore sig, I notice now that it's like the cheapest ENGL also next to the fireball.

 

[Metaltastic]

Well, not including the Thunder/Screamer...how are those amps, anyway?

 

[Djabthrash]

Speaking of the blackmore sig, I notice now that it's like the cheapest ENGL also next to the fireball.

Well, not including the Thunder/Screamer...how are those amps, anyway?

It's not as expensive as the Fireball/PB/etc since it's a very straightforward and simple amp i guess.
But then the Thunder and Screamer are less expensive. I've heard they're fine.
IIRR the Thunder sounds more like a rock amp compared to the Screamer.

 

[gorath23]

Well, not including the Thunder/Screamer...how are those amps, anyway?

You get what you pay for, the Thunder was nice until I got my Fireball....different league really. Personally all the clips I've heard of the Blackmore sounded as tight as Mr Burn's wallet but lacked balls, really edgy 'crispy' rhythm tone. Kinda the polar opposite of the Fireball. Apparently it sounds great for leads, I'd need to hear it to believe it though. I'd imagine it would do pretty well for super djenty Meshuggah-ish stuff.

 

[MOSHWITZ]

I'd would recommend the Savage120 over the P'ball
all day long

MOSHON
DAVE

 

[Metaltastic]

Wow dude, that Warrior is fucking ridiculous! And what kinda cab is that?

 

[SickBoy]

AFAIR : quite organic, less gain (>more usable gain), more simple, less modern, tons of attitude, still tight as fuck, and great clean sound as well.

Blackmore somehow managed to produce all sounds I was after...
Clean is very to fairly clean until you turn the knob to the max, then it starts giving that nice warm bluesy drive. Crunch steps into classic Marshall territory (JCM800 and such), lo-gain has more than enough gain to please any rhythm playing style, while hi-gain is gain galore... Not sure how much gain Peaveys or Mesas have compared to this toy, but I surely see no purpose in more gain than this much...

Very versatile and organic, that would be the best description. Very articulated as well, I tried playing a chord across all strings while at max gain and every note rang reasonably clearly. It's very sensitive to picking force and seems to make notes jump out when strings are picked hard... And I don't find the lack of separate EQ per channel to be a downside. I prefer simpler and more direct designs, since I play on distortion for maybe 95% of time it doesn't bother me at all, I mainly switch master A/B back and forth for solos.

Think like a very clear + tight as fuck hot-rodded JCM800.

Well, I never thought of its basic sound as anything remotely JCM800 like... But it does step into Marshall territory when Contour is engaged, it gives it more of those Marshally character with those mids and less bottom.

And let's not forget it's based on Savage, which Ritchie liked, the legacy is even visible in those characteristic bars behind the Engl logo.
No harm in trying one out if you have an opportunity...