Why the Lack of Engl Interest?

[Rising Farce]

Although I haven't seen the video(s) in question, I strongly suspect user error, and/or a conscious attempt to skew the tones in favor of the Bugera. (Also, there's nothing at all wrong with the transformers on the Powerball 2 or Fireball 100; this is an Internet myth left over from the days of the not-as-loud-as-you-would-suspect-for-a-100-watt-amp original Powerball.)

As for the Fireball 100 vs. Invader comparison, the former has much more gain and low end, so I can't imagine what sort of "stomping" it was subjected to (unless, of course, we're talking about versatility, of which the Invader has loads).

The bottom line is, unless you're prepared to do a lot of potentially expensive buying and reselling, you need to play them all in order to know which one is right for you. I've thrown a ton of money into the bottomless pit of GAS reduction based on YouTube videos, and learned my lesson as a result.

Can you tell us a little more about what you're looking for tone- and feature-wise? I imagine the folks here have played just about all the Engls at one point or another, and may be able to offer some guidance.

Maybe the original invader, but not the 2. It has every bit as much gain and a bottom end so big, it needs to be tamed sometimes. They are rare though and not many have been able to try one. I got #39 LE.

Ah, I wasn't aware of that. Sounds like I need to track one down to try. The original Invaders were a little "refined" for my tastes.

 

[Fuego]

Although I haven't seen the video(s) in question, I strongly suspect user error, and/or a conscious attempt to skew the tones in favor of the Bugera. (Also, there's nothing at all wrong with the transformers on the Powerball 2 or Fireball 100; this is an Internet myth left over from the days of the not-as-loud-as-you-would-suspect-for-a-100-watt-amp original Powerball.)

As for the Fireball 100 vs. Invader comparison, the former has much more gain and low end, so I can't imagine what sort of "stomping" it was subjected to (unless, of course, we're talking about versatility, of which the Invader has loads).

The bottom line is, unless you're prepared to do a lot of potentially expensive buying and reselling, you need to play them all in order to know which one is right for you. I've thrown a ton of money into the bottomless pit of GAS reduction based on YouTube videos, and learned my lesson as a result.

Can you tell us a little more about what you're looking for tone- and feature-wise? I imagine the folks here have played just about all the Engls at one point or another, and may be able to offer some guidance.

Maybe the original invader, but not the 2. It has every bit as much gain and a bottom end so big, it needs to be tamed sometimes. They are rare though and not many have been able to try one. I got #39 LE.

Ah, I wasn't aware of that. Sounds like I need to track one down to try. The original Invaders were a little "refined" for my tastes.

If ur ever in central Texas, come try it out. I saw one once in Denver at DCGL but that a year ago. However I believe Engl distribution is in Florida. Ask them where one might be near you. The wizard module is amazing too. It hard wires mods into the amp but is switchable and reversible without using a soldering iron.it really is a great amp.

 

[chimp]

You should be able to pick up a lightly used PB2 at a hefty discount over retail. I can't imagine that it won't suit your needs, but if it doesn't, you can always resell it and try something else. (And again, there are zero problems with the transformers. If there were, I don't imagine Marty Friedman, Richie Faulkner, Glenn Tipton, Craig Goldy, and others would still be using these amps on tour.)

Although I've never played a Bugera, and therefore can't offer any firsthand input in that area, my understanding is that they're essentially offshore clones of popular US- and UK-made amps (Peavey, Marshall, Mesa, etc.). If you do decide to try one, I'd be interested to hear your thoughts, especially with regard to build quality.

Nowadays i try to keep an open mind about amps, but i am admittedly biased against bugera, which i see as
the behringer of amps. If theres any company with the most non-soldano trannies, id guess it would be them,
which is why that vid suprised me, since it sounded good. Oh yeah, the lad had every setting on the pb pretty much
cranked, even the presence, i think thats what made it sound like shit. No lowend balls. It will be awhile before i
can afford an engl, ill probably get the se. Lifes too short.

The pb and fb old and new have the worst reputations ive ever seen in amp forums. Complaints are always
the same: bad transistory tone, too compressed, doesnt cut through. This i can understand from scoopers that
dont like to boost amps. Ive heard the same complaints from nonscoopers too. When you unscoop the amp they
lose some bite and cut, very smooth on top, reminds me of boogie. Everyone seems to like invaders though.

 

[ob1clyde]

I was a long time boogie fan, i basically live in their backyard and I still own ONE! But my go to's now are Engl. The INVADER 1 is my be all, I'm on my third head.. and I recently acquired an Artisit edition. Ive been playing the Artist alot lately as it does bring something different to the table. All in all.. Im a convert. I've been playing for years and I dont think i had even heard of Engl until maybe 3 years ago.. Id say that is it,not alot of visibility.. plus the Hefty import tax that is put on them..(vice-versa for mesa overseas) and its just not as easy to play or get ahold of one to demo. Then the resale is high because we want to recoop.. its a tough nut to crack! But once your in, you realize what GREAT amps they are though. Then its just a matter of personal taste.

 

[racerevlon]

I think the price plus their niche tone keeps them from being super-famous. That said, some of the best tones I've heard of late are coming from an ENGL Steve Morse. Only thing that might beat it on tone is hand-wired Marshall or the 'Chupa. For versatility the ENGL can't be beaten. Look for VH4 and Triamp MK II sales in the near future.

 

[rsm]

I'm not seeing the "niche tone" FWIW/IMO. My Engl rig really surprised me with it's versatility. I no longer shred - thanks, arthritis but I wanted a high gain amp with high power for bedroom use only. The high gain is glorious, but I was amazed at the cleans - I've never heard such crystal clear, pristine (not sterile) full cleans from any tube amp I've ever owned or heard. Add to this, everything in between; I can get great edge of breakup/crunch/od tones too. It's the most versatile tube amp I've ever owned. Now if only it could do classic Vox AC-30 tones...

 

[Klesk]

Speaking just from my experience, the Engl's can be somewhat hard to come by here in the United States. At least, unless you live within driving distance of a major city, you're probably going to have a tough time playing through one before you buy it.

I think there's also a misconception that they're only good at modern metal. My Invader 2 has excellent cleans, and will cover a log of ground between that and modern Engl metal. From what I can tell, it's built like a tank.

I've also heard of some complaints with Engl support. You can email them and never get a response. I'm guessing that's their way of saying they want you to contact their U.S. counterparts, but still....

This exactly. I think engl will always be associated with metal/hard rock and for that very reason will never be completely mainstream.

Oh well! More Engls for the rest of us!

 

[1meanplexi]

I cannot say lack of interest. I can say that it does not pop off the floor like other brands out there. I never gave much attention until I heard a clip of the Retrotube...I bought one. One thing that I think is lacking, is the customer service. I had a couple of questions sent via email and that was over two weeks ago with no response.

 

[shadowdevourer]

Tone of Engls are sooo good, people probably spend all their time playing rather than posting on forums

 

[indespise]

It's the low US distribution and the price bloat from bureaucracy. I can't help but think Engl would steal a lot of other companies' lunches if they started building somewhere more favorable to international trade and really stepped up their distribution game.

 

[Fuego]

When I have a question, I text their Facebook page. They get with me within 24 hours.

 

[hadley101]

I'm now currently on the hunt for either Fireball 100 or Savage
but can say when I had a new set of EL84's put into my
Ironball my tech told me he would never do any more work
on it other than tube swab due to the PCB being installed
upside down.

There isn't a single soul who can/will repair ENGL in my area
or state. This makes ENGL ownership a harrowing proposition
if anything serious was to happen.

Knowing they way they engineer the amps they should have a
better support system. For a long time I was only met with
contempt from ENGL support, they have stepped up their
game a bit in the past year though.

Still going to be hard to find techs who will be willing to work
on their amps.