Engl users, care to rebottle ???

Dr.Mavashi

Dr.Mavashi

neonderthalotonalogist
This is from plexipalace, war really surprised to read this .....

"I read that ENGL's are like the Peavey or Crate of Germany. People in the USA think they're a real high-end amp because they're so expensive but anything made in Germany is expensive here. There was a thread with pics on HC showing the innards of an ENGL Blackmore or Powerball, I don't remember which it was but it had every pooh-poohed amp construction technique there is: ribbon cables inside carrying high voltage, PC style connectors, PCB mounted tube sockets and potentiometers, a thin low-quality pcb that bends and flexes when removing or inserting tubes, flimsy mounting to the head case and a puny sized OT."
 
Re: Engl users, care to rebottle ???

The innards aren't as robust as one would think, based on the reputation of the company being near boutique status, but they're by no means inadequate or cheap. On par with Peavey/Marshall I'd say, with a much stronger headbox.

That said, the innards of a Mesa, VHT, Bogner, Diezel, etc... make it seem like a toy in comparison.
 
Re: Engl users, care to rebottle ???

In the Netherlands, you'll rarely see anybody over the age of 17 with an engl, unless they've refused to give up on the very, very metal thing and still droptune their 7-string. It's not much different elsewhere in Europe. When they mature in taste and technique, they're up for grabs on the used market for the next batch of adolescent metalheads.

Please don't flame me for this, it's just facts !

But since they are regarded as exotic high-end amps on your side of the pond, you'll see some very talented players using them with great results. A buddy of mine in Florida has used one on his latest album and I can hardly believe it's an Engl, it sounds so good !

Good players get good tone from anything.
 
Re: Engl users, care to rebottle ???

Dr.Mavashi said:
This is from plexipalace, war really surprised to read this .....

"I read that ENGL's are like the Peavey or Crate of Germany. People in the USA think they're a real high-end amp because they're so expensive but anything made in Germany is expensive here. There was a thread with pics on HC showing the innards of an ENGL Blackmore or Powerball, I don't remember which it was but it had every pooh-poohed amp construction technique there is: ribbon cables inside carrying high voltage, PC style connectors, PCB mounted tube sockets and potentiometers, a thin low-quality pcb that bends and flexes when removing or inserting tubes, flimsy mounting to the head case and a puny sized OT."
Click to expand...

Haven´t I already said this like 10 million times??

Good to see people finally waking up.....
 
Re: Engl users, care to rebottle ???

a lot of amp builders do pcb mount their tube sockets - fine ..
and yes in theory, it would be better to mount the sockets on
the chassis, but how many amps can you confirm to fail due
to pcb mounting? i mean real facts not traditional horror stories.

my two engls (jive-601 16 yrs old, and thunder-622 2 yrs old) never hesitated
to work properly for me, no matter how i treated them so far. this includes
somebody fell over the amp and tilt it back fast when it was hot and turned
on, this includes lots hours of overheat runtime (wrong bias + no fan) and
weekly carrying around, due to i didn't leave it in the practice room, ...

you can't doom a product just because of what you have seen on the photos.
product quality is more than just setup.

the engls i currently own are not less reliable than the peavey DB15 or
Laney AOR30 i owned before. ((btw i often try around with tubes, so
every amp at least had to stand half a dozen of rebottling attempts.
due to i open up everything i have, i can confirm that the boards in engls
have gauge like my klipschs crossover boards, so nothin thin in there!))

a little comparison.
i owned a chevy k5 which used to be a solid truck. it had everyone a
european us car fan would dream of. solid ladder frame, unbreakable
smallblock, bumpers and doors heavy like hell and every second day
something different broke down. at the end the fuel prices and not the
problems were the reason for selling, but none of the ****ty plastic cars
i had since these days ever had such problems like my beloved blazer.

there's a difference between old and modern methods of construction, not
all modern built products are bad.

Zerberus said:
Haven´t I already said this like 10 million times?
Click to expand...
hmm, no!? ;)



cheers
martin
 
Last edited:
Re: Engl users, care to rebottle ???

V!N said:
In the Netherlands, you'll rarely see anybody over the age of 17 with an engl, unless they've refused to give up on the very, very metal thing and still droptune their 7-string. It's not much different elsewhere in Europe. When they mature in taste and technique, they're up for grabs on the used market for the next batch of adolescent metalheads.
Click to expand...

sorry to say, but that's the second time you acted like a completely closed minded jerk when it comes to Engls. :bsflag:
Engls can do so much more than just metal. There folk and country musicians who use Engl.

I own two Engls and i play everything with them not just metal. According to your "Facts" Ritchie Blackmore is immature in technique and taste?Same goes for Viktor Smolski. The Scorpions? Steven Morse? Phil Campbell of Motörhead?
I don't think Engl or the skills/tastes of the users is the problem here, but your closed mind is what's causing the problem.
Just because you can't handle/don't like something doesn't mean it's bad. There are lots and lots of mature Engl users.

*Flame mode off*

So for the topic: both my Engls are reliable and built without flaws. My powerball manages stage use without problems and i have no complaints so far. As long as it doesn't crap out, it's about tone and not about the inner workings.
 
Re: Engl users, care to rebottle ???

Too bad you didn't read the request not to flame me for mentioning facts. I just call them as I see them. I'd hardly say I'm close minded or inexperienced with engls. I tried a lot of them in stores, but didn't like one of them. I was forced to play one live and I liked it even less. If it works for you, great ! If you say then can do something beside very, very metal, I'm sure they can. I just haven't seen anybody around here do it though. I'll be sure to check out new models and perhaps they'll make an amp I like one day.

Just don't expect me to change my mind after nothing but bad experience with them so far. Again, if it works for you, great !

Too bad you also missed the part about my buddy in the USA with the great tone he got with an engl and my point that good players sound good no mater what they play.
Jan Akkerman used a Fender solid state amp and a Gibson Les Paul Personal back when he was with Focus. Yet, his sound was great.
 
Re: Engl users, care to rebottle ???

i read all of your post, but please, just stop stating your views and opinions as facts. Could we agree on that? If you had bad experiences or don't like the tone that's fine with me, but don't generalize all Engl users and the amps. That can be insulting for the people who use them, including myself.
For example, I don't go around and tell people it's a fact that most Mesas suck because the lowend isn't tight enough, that's just my opinion.
Just look at the classic or the sovereign to find Engls that aren't balls out metal and can do a lot of styles.
 
Re: Engl users, care to rebottle ???

What's wrong with "Very, Very Metal"?:smokin:
Or Balls Out metal. The boys need to breathe sometime! LOL
 
Re: Engl users, care to rebottle ???

LOL!

An ENGL might not be a 70's HiWatt inside, but dammit the quality is greater than most other stuff here.

It is a Boutique amp imo, and kicks some serious ass.

Mine came with a factory default, but when it worked, dammit did it kick ass.

Which ENGLs do Campbell and Scorpions use?
 
Re: Engl users, care to rebottle ???

AH^DK said:
Which ENGLs do Campbell and Scorpions use?
Click to expand...

actually i have no idea what they use. The scorpions have a lot of engl cabs onstage but no heads so i figure there's some rack gear somewhere behind.
Same goes for campbell, i just can't finda picture that shows his gear.
 
Re: Engl users, care to rebottle ???

Hmm okay, when was the Screamer introduced?

Wasnt it one of their first?

Out of the Blackmoore, Fireball, Classic Head and Screamer, the screamer sounds most "80's" to me.
 
Re: Engl users, care to rebottle ???

If it sounds good and matches what you need it for, who cares? True, I thought they were high end just by their name alone for some reason, but the proof would be in the pudding once you play it. It either sounds good or it doesn't. I could care less if it's got a mouse turning a wheel inside of it, as long as it gets the job done and the mouse kept running.
 
Re: Engl users, care to rebottle ???

Anyone who thinks Engl only does metal should listen to MarinBlues' clips.

He plays a very UN-METAL Engl screamer & gets gorgeous tones out ot it!!!!
 
Re: Engl users, care to rebottle ???

i play blues and rock over my engls. sometimes i do miss a fender
clean sound, but engls have other attributes i like a lot
 
Re: Engl users, care to rebottle ???

My experience with ENGLs as a dealer is that every 2nd one I sold to a gigging musician developed issues with shorting out or fried cables within 6 months, and then spent another 2 months at Engl support becasue Engl refused to provide service diagrams to anybody for any reason. in 3 cases, they went right back becasue shipping back to my shop (or just bad repairs) caused another failure. Cool, play for 6 months, then get repaired for 4.. that´s a good Up-/downtime ratio... For the space shuttle :laugh2:

They sound good... but IMO they´re not a reliable alternative for heavy gigging, and that´s why I eventually dropped the line completely.

Does the new Invader entice me: yes. Would I buy one: probably no, simply because after years of experience my personal opinion of Engl´s reliability is essentially the same as Peavey and Crate. And reliability is the absolute numero uno for a gigging amp. Cut put just once and you´re getting replaced. Almost happened to my Marshall, but it was my guitar cable :D

AH^DK said:
LOL!

An ENGL might not be a 70's HiWatt inside, but dammit the quality is greater than most other stuff here.
Click to expand...

Knowing exactly what Savages and Screamers look like on the inside (IIRC the savage for example is 4 pc boards, of which 3 overlap...): ANY Marshall is built better, including a Valvestate. I kid you not.

And for an amp that is believed to be boutique in the states and is often touted similarly here, that´s a disgrace to the word.

Just MHO, of course... but there is VERY much truth in the original post.... but just like most bedroom players never have problems with peavey or crate, so the don´t with Engl, either. But what the **** good is a "professional" guitar amplifier if it can´t stand the trials of the tour for more than a month? ;)
 
Last edited:
Re: Engl users, care to rebottle ???

Okay, well mines done fine.

It worries me a little bit though that I aint the first to have one broken.

Do you have a pic of a Screamer inside?
 
Re: Engl users, care to rebottle ???

AH^DK said:
....Do you have a pic of a Screamer inside?
Click to expand...

Not anymore, sorry....I used to have pics of all sorts of amplifier guts as well as about 50 custom guitars I´d built... unfortunately they were all destroyed in a hard disk crash about 5 years ago. :(

Though I´m not sure, was I a member here then already?? Maybe someone saved a few of the ones I posted if I was... :)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top