UberMetalDood
New member
My Engls just came in today. First box opened was my Screamer 50 reverb. Second amp was the my Steve Morse signature head. Now the Screamer 50 is a very good all around amp; however, I decided that for a 1x12 the Laney TT50 is a better combo.
The Screamer is a great combo for cleans and high gain. By itself, mid gain sounds are not a flavorful. However, once you kick in a little OD or boost, the mid gain sounds come alive. The reverb works quite well but I actually prefer the reverb on the Laney. It's a little bit more natural and not as washy sounding as it gets on the Screamer but the Screamer reverb is outstanding so could just be my personal opinion.
I chose the Laney beacuse of it's spongy 2nd channel that goes from an incredible jazzy/bluesy clean to a really juicy crunch gain. The 3rd channel is more of the same but with an additional gain boost and tight setting for a less spongy feel.
Overall I'm just happier with the cleans, crunch and touch response of the Laney. I prefer the Screamer as a head more than the combo. It sounds way way better through a 2x12 or 4x12 than it does in a combo. The TT50 makes a better 1x12 in my opinion.
Now lastly but not least, the Engl Steve Morse. I knew it was a great amp. It's based on the Invader. The problem with the Invader is most people absolutey love it and some hate it. Well the Steve Morse is an invader with all kinds of mid shaping controls and takes away all the complaints about the Invader mids anyone could possilbly complain about.
Not to mention it's the most boutique sounding and feeling amp of ANYTHING Engl makes save for the SE which I can't afford to even demo because they're so expensive.
However, the dynamics and response of this amp is amazing. You would have to expect that those kinds of dynamics from a player like Morse who utilizes so many playing techniques, and makes so much use of his volume knob.
What you start off with on the Morse head is a phenomenal clean channel. I mean a one of the best clean channels there could possibly be. The amp has a high input button which is basically like having a high/low input amp like a Plexi or JCM 800, except instead of plugging into another jack you just engage the switch.
Once you pop it into high input, the clean channel turns into a JCM800 with about as much gain as a JCM800 can get I suppose. It will not sound just like a JCM 800 with the knobs at 12:00. You have to boost the high mids and lower the bass and low mids a little to get that JCM 800 upper mid brightness. Then it's dead on JCM 800 territory. Dial back the guitar volume and easy AC/DC and bluesy clean leads.
Channel 2 is so far my favorite. It's hotrodded british tone that only Engl can make. Almost any British overdrive sound is in this channel. When you dial those mids back and push the presence you're in Vox territory. Push the mids and you're in Marshall territory. Drop mids and push the presence and you start getting into Orange territory but not much fuzz.
I've only had the amp for a couple of hours and am limited how much I can play it due to my recent surgery, but I have already found a plethora of useable sounds without doing anything except leaving the knobs on 12:00 and switching buttons between low mid/high mid emphasis.
Now channel 3. This has got to be the most incredible solo tone I've ever heard. I mean all the greatest tones you can think of like Bogner Ecstasy and Soldano SLO well this is up there on that exact level no doubt. In fact, Engl may have pushed the envelope in the world's greatest lead tone with the Steve Morse head.
Now if you think you're going to plug in and sound like Steve Morse it's not like that at all. I think signature amps get a bad rap too often because most of the time you plug into them you easily achieve your own sound. The Richie Blackmoore is another great exception as well.
After having my new dream amp now in my hands for only a matter of hours, I feel compelled to inform everyone how incredible this amp is.
I was seriously torn between it and the Invader which I've played, wondering if I should have gone with the Invader instead. Now I know I couldn't have made a better choice.
Having had a Powerball II, Fireball 100, and Screamer, I can say that if Engl takes all their amps and goes more in the Morse and Blackmore signature direction as far as just plain great tone and feel (and industrial strength builds), then Engl could rule the amp world.
Oh and you know that blue front plate you see on the Steve More ads, well it doesn't look light blue like that. It's a dark blue color that looks really cool. My picture didn't come out that well but you should see this thing with the tubes warm and LED's on.
The Screamer is a great combo for cleans and high gain. By itself, mid gain sounds are not a flavorful. However, once you kick in a little OD or boost, the mid gain sounds come alive. The reverb works quite well but I actually prefer the reverb on the Laney. It's a little bit more natural and not as washy sounding as it gets on the Screamer but the Screamer reverb is outstanding so could just be my personal opinion.
I chose the Laney beacuse of it's spongy 2nd channel that goes from an incredible jazzy/bluesy clean to a really juicy crunch gain. The 3rd channel is more of the same but with an additional gain boost and tight setting for a less spongy feel.
Overall I'm just happier with the cleans, crunch and touch response of the Laney. I prefer the Screamer as a head more than the combo. It sounds way way better through a 2x12 or 4x12 than it does in a combo. The TT50 makes a better 1x12 in my opinion.
Now lastly but not least, the Engl Steve Morse. I knew it was a great amp. It's based on the Invader. The problem with the Invader is most people absolutey love it and some hate it. Well the Steve Morse is an invader with all kinds of mid shaping controls and takes away all the complaints about the Invader mids anyone could possilbly complain about.
Not to mention it's the most boutique sounding and feeling amp of ANYTHING Engl makes save for the SE which I can't afford to even demo because they're so expensive.
However, the dynamics and response of this amp is amazing. You would have to expect that those kinds of dynamics from a player like Morse who utilizes so many playing techniques, and makes so much use of his volume knob.
What you start off with on the Morse head is a phenomenal clean channel. I mean a one of the best clean channels there could possibly be. The amp has a high input button which is basically like having a high/low input amp like a Plexi or JCM 800, except instead of plugging into another jack you just engage the switch.
Once you pop it into high input, the clean channel turns into a JCM800 with about as much gain as a JCM800 can get I suppose. It will not sound just like a JCM 800 with the knobs at 12:00. You have to boost the high mids and lower the bass and low mids a little to get that JCM 800 upper mid brightness. Then it's dead on JCM 800 territory. Dial back the guitar volume and easy AC/DC and bluesy clean leads.
Channel 2 is so far my favorite. It's hotrodded british tone that only Engl can make. Almost any British overdrive sound is in this channel. When you dial those mids back and push the presence you're in Vox territory. Push the mids and you're in Marshall territory. Drop mids and push the presence and you start getting into Orange territory but not much fuzz.
I've only had the amp for a couple of hours and am limited how much I can play it due to my recent surgery, but I have already found a plethora of useable sounds without doing anything except leaving the knobs on 12:00 and switching buttons between low mid/high mid emphasis.
Now channel 3. This has got to be the most incredible solo tone I've ever heard. I mean all the greatest tones you can think of like Bogner Ecstasy and Soldano SLO well this is up there on that exact level no doubt. In fact, Engl may have pushed the envelope in the world's greatest lead tone with the Steve Morse head.
Now if you think you're going to plug in and sound like Steve Morse it's not like that at all. I think signature amps get a bad rap too often because most of the time you plug into them you easily achieve your own sound. The Richie Blackmoore is another great exception as well.
After having my new dream amp now in my hands for only a matter of hours, I feel compelled to inform everyone how incredible this amp is.
I was seriously torn between it and the Invader which I've played, wondering if I should have gone with the Invader instead. Now I know I couldn't have made a better choice.
Having had a Powerball II, Fireball 100, and Screamer, I can say that if Engl takes all their amps and goes more in the Morse and Blackmore signature direction as far as just plain great tone and feel (and industrial strength builds), then Engl could rule the amp world.
Oh and you know that blue front plate you see on the Steve More ads, well it doesn't look light blue like that. It's a dark blue color that looks really cool. My picture didn't come out that well but you should see this thing with the tubes warm and LED's on.
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