ENGL E635 Fireball 100 Head

Engl has made a huge impact in the metal guitar world with their line of high quality amplifiers. They have a metal voicing character to them that is inherent within their amp voicings. The is the little brother to the powerball amp that has four channels.

These amps have two channels one for the clean side and one for the distortion side. There are an assortment of switches and control knobs that allow the user to tailor his or her tone. With 6L6 power tubes you get a good tight low end within your tone.

UTILIZATION

Front panel:
• Clean and Lead Channel featuring separate Gain controls
• Bright switch for the Clean Channel
• Bottom switch (Clean & Lead) that adds low end punch
• Passive EQ: Bass, Middle, Treble
• Lead Volume control for precise level tuning
• Mid Boost switch (Clean & Lead), remote controllable via footswitch
• Master A and Master B for two different power amp level settings, remote controllable via footswitch
• P.T.M. (Power Tube Monitor) system: failure indication via LED for each power tube
• Stand By s

Rear Panel:
• 2 x 1/4" Stereo jacks for connecting a ENGL Z-4 footpedal: Clean / Lead (channel switching) & Master A / B, Mid Boost & FX Loop off / on
• Noise Gate Threshold controls the Gate’s attack
• FX Loop equipped with a Balance control, FX Loop off / on, remote controllable via footswitch
• Power amp Output 4 Ohms, 8 Ohms (2 jacks) and 16 Ohms
• 100 Watts tube guitar amp head equipped with a matched set of four 6L6GC power tubes
• Four ECC83 (12AX7) preamp tubes

SOUNDS

This amp is a great amp for the metal players. You get a distinct German voicing within the amp and especially the distortion channel. You will either like it or hate it. I don't think or feel there is any middle ground with this amp when it comes to liking the voicing of the amp.

I think this amp sounds great on the clean channel but it lives in the lead channel. The overdrive channel is thick and lush in saturation. You can get this thing to saturate well beyond anything that you would ever need in a band setting.

OVERALL OPINION

At new these amps come in at around $1699, which is a great price for a great sounding two channel amp with a ton of versatility. You get a high quality amp at a price that is very competitive in a the boutique amplifier market.

would recommend this amp to any metal player who need a high quality amp that will stay tight in the low end and give you a highly saturated distortion tone.

It dissects the monster!

- All 100w lamps (4x ECC83 and 4x 6L6GC)
- 2 channels (Clean and Gain)
- 2 gain controls (one per channel), 2 Master volume lead separate EQ 3 shared by 2 channels channel strips, 1 control presence.
- Integrated Gate
- Effects loop with control "level"
- Upcoming baffle 4.8 or 16 ohms
- Mid boost, bright switch and bottom switch

A separate EQ for each channel was pe welcome. But it does not pose a lot of problems here. Gate of very good quality and very effective.

UTILIZATION

One branch and it sounds! The EQ knobs are very reactive and quickly gained a beautiful sound. To get the sound you want is a little more complicated but I will speak in the "sounds".

Note that the switches are not provided by Engl said that any switch with 2 buttons done the job. The fact that there is "only" 2 channel makes use very simple but you can use a lot of very useful however subtleties. Including playing on the mid boost and 2 master. The mid boost is also extremely effective for piercing the mix during your time Swank solo Playing on the master can be up and down at will.

SOUNDS

Things are getting serious here.

Connected with a PRS SE Custom equipped with humbuckers on a baffle Engl Standard (with the V60), I play in a group of Progressive Metal but the head absolutely suitable for all styles of Metal with a slight preference for modern sounds at low vitamin content. I've tried a 7 string LTD equipped with EMG and the head has a bass frequencies simply amazing! The guitarist fans of Meshuggah and other groups who like to give very low with well defined bass will find here an extremely rare happiness. Very serious powerchords are super clean with an incredible match. Go for it!

For my part, I play in a band with various influences Prog (as well as Thrash Prog Tool for example) and Fireball fulfilled its role not only for the lead channel as the clean channel. The first is responsible for low mids. It sounds very Mesa, very modern, the palm mute are pleasurable. To clean, pleasant surprise, it is incredibly clear! It sounds almost like an acoustic guitar if we make good its settings! It is to be noted on a hi-gain amp. This is clearly not a clean "default" that is just because we need a clean. This is indeed a real clean amp lamp does not laugh in Engl. Pushing a little gain on the clean channel you get on quite bluesy sounds but it passes quickly. That may be where it is least comfortable.

Note that the sound of the Fireball is further enriched if an EQ pedal (MXR 10 band for me) are used. As said earlier, this amp has a huge reserve in low and it is to use a separate EQ to better penetrate the mix when the other guitarist of the group has a loaded senior mediums head (Marshall style) and do so more "breathe" the lead channel of the amp while keeping the grain so specific to Engl. The ability to penetrate the mix is ​​perhaps the only "missing" from the head to me.

In recanche, like any tube amp that respects the Fireball justice to all your babies. It shows very well the sound signatures your guitars perfectly honoring them. Very very good.

OVERALL OPINION

I use this amp for almost 7 months and I do not intend to part with it. It is crucial for all styles of Metal as I already said. And all that hard lamp squarely wallpaper when the master is at 10am 100w. A perfect head for group play and therefore if you play with another guitarist who has many mediums, buying a pedal eq is required.

The strong points:

- The quality / price ratio (a sound close to Mesa with a smaller wallet!)
- The report very low tunings and other 7-string guitars.
- The clean. It breathes, it is crystalline, it's clean tube amp!

I would do this choice without hesitation.

100W all-tube amp. 4 ECC83 preamp lamps and 4 6L6 amp. (Hint for the switch to 50W: remove two lamps amp. Plants or those of the extremities)

2 channels clean / lead, shared EQ: Bass, mid, treble, presence.
Bright switch for clean, bottom to reinforce the bass (which usually do not miss it) and mid boost.
knobs: clean gain, lead gain, lead volume, master A and B

Effects loops, adjustable noise gate integrated speaker output 4, 8 and 16 ohms mono or stereo.

In addition, the channel change, the mid boost, master A / B and the effects loop can be controlled by pedals.

nothing to say it is complete! lack can be a little reverb ... but that's nitpicking.

I put 9.5 for the reverb ...

UTILIZATION

So very simple config. may be too much for some who like to tamper 15,000 knobs, it is not my case. the shared EQ does not bother me, however, I had a double before EQ (Laboga alligator) and it is not necessary, since I realized that I most favored channel distortion. but there are enough settings to change quite radically the sound.
How to tell if an amp sounds good? well all knobs at noon it sounds, and this engl it sounds! after this is just refining personal. so yes it's easy to get a good sound, one branch and Roll!!

The manual is very clear (not FR, but just ON or ALL), and sufficient. for both the neophyte and for "connoisseurs". he told the principal and that's enough.

SOUNDS

oh yes! I play mostly metal and this is definitely head for the metal! (Engl is known for that too). for once made the pub around the brand is not wrong! the amp sounds decidedly dark, and focuses on low-mids, it sounds quite modern.
with all the little knobs There's a great way to get palette of sound. I have the amp that since yesterday, so I have not been able to thoroughly test .... but I could try, we pass from death to thrash, to black and ... even through the rock.
playing on the clean gain, you get even a nice crunch <img class="smiley" src="/images/audiofanzine/interface/smileys/icon_wink.gif" alt="" /> so yes this amp is for the metal but is very versatile.

issue it ensures clean: warm, round, full. at the same time I play on a full ESP MXII250 CS 81/60 mahogany so it helps. but good on a hi-gain amp like that, a clean of this quality is not denial! Once again I had an amp simple: a nice clean and distortion that hard! I and 2.

again the knobs are quite reactive and change the sound quite well ... So There's way to have both low-mid sound that sounds dark and very noisy, and acute ...

OVERALL OPINION

I use it since yesterday, so I'll come back in a few weeks add comments. I tried at the same time as the latter Engl blackmore home. very good head, great distortion, but too many channels for me (well, 2x2), knobs and much less precise. I had a 15/30 Laboga alligator before, it was good and very typical rock / hard, but not really metal! the Mr Hector has a very particular distortion, we like it or not. again I have not found it very usable at low volumes.
One good thing also with the Fireball 100 is that it is very usable at low volumes! a habit Engl. the knobs are very progressive and very accurate! it is a treat! I played in my room at 00:30! good sound is what it is, this volume is not vibrating masses of the membranes of the speakers, but it's still usable! is what I needed: an amp repeat / concert / apartment.

So yes I would do this choice, even if I did that yesterday. to € 1 249 at my favorite retailer, the price / quality ratio is really good! It's engl, it's solid, well built ... and loupiotte that turns red is zoli! <img class="smiley" src="/images/audiofanzine/interface/smileys/icon_lol.gif" alt="" />
well I know that I have good grades, but this amp fits perfectly with what I'm looking for now. to see if in qq weeks it will always be the same.

Amp Head All Tube 100W

4xECC83 (12AX7)
4x6L6GC

1 input
4ohms (or 2x8Ohms Stereo)
8ohms (or 2x16Ohms Stereo)
16ohms

Clean Gain
Lead Gain

EQ common to both channels
+ Bright switch, and bottom (boost treble and bass, respectively)
+ Mid boost

Lead Volume
Master A
Master B

Presence (level impact treble)

Effects Loop with Dry / Wet balance adjustable signal (ratio of the signal coming from the pedals and the amp, if I understood everything. It works like a level)

Possibility to connect 2 switches with 2 footswitches (not forced to buy the Z3, Z4 and other home Engl any footswitch to 2 switch can be used as long as you note well what is the effect of switches):
- Clean / Lead + Master A / B
- Mid Boost + Effects on / off

4 LEDs indicate the status of Health 6L6GC power tubes
Besides all that, add a gate of very good quality (if somewhat capricious to settle, I do not use it)

A good resume on paper, already!

UTILIZATION

In comparison with the E625 60W that I already had the opportunity to test (very good sound), this new edition offers new possibilities Fireball setting that were sadly lacking in the old version!

- Gain and separate volume for the 2 channels, virtually a must for those who can not settle for one sound (especially in heavy styles)

- 2 master volume, great for the soloists who no longer need to be bored to purchase boosts pedal format

- The buffs bright, bottom and mid boost which provide even more opportunities to refine its

The adjustment knobs are very sensitive and influence its very efficiently (almost too much, we must note its settings when traveling to not spend 3 hours to find them).

Clearly, the E635 corrects all the defects of his "little" sister!

ENGL manual (available online at. Pdf format) is very detailed and comprehensive, it answers most questions that may arise (provided you get by in English).

Finally, despite all these buttons, it&#39;s easy to find the sound we like and controls are very intuitive to ride (provided you have 2 footswitches, sold separately of course ... ENGL did not change this over there!)

In my case, this head gives me the opportunity to respond to all my whims to control my sound up during the live, in particular the presence of both master volume that I found very very useful!

At the finish of the head itself, it&#39;s heavy and sturdy. And it&#39;s very pretty to look also: logo chrome lamps and large mesh visible. Small detail congenital ENGL heads, but so totally cute jacky: small red LEDs light up the lamps. It&#39;s deadly!

SOUNDS

This is a high gain head that allows for aggressive sounds (Black / Death / Thrash / Heavy example), the distortion is completely up to date: it&#39;s clean, square, it does not blur a hair next! Beware of bread, the dynamics of play and the notes are subject to much out, but still less than on other heads ENGL or a Mesa recto. His question, I think it is close to the Californian in the Mesa, but with more gain and potato. It&#39;s halfway between a sound Peavey / Marshall high gain and Mesa Rectifier. I agree totally! After all depends on the settings of each of the guitar plugged in and on the config. For the little that adds an equalizer in the loop, the pannel of sounds can be refined further.

That&#39;s exactly what I wanted since I bought this to replace my head Peavey 5150 (in reference styles hard) by another head with High Gain sounds cleaner and more flexible settings. No breath, the sound is very clean and distorted sounds are simply orgasmic ... Bowled!

Truce of brutality, let&#39;s clean: very nice and convincing, although it groovy! Pure clean tube amp, a real treat for jazz and blues boys: it&#39;s hot as an afternoon at the beach ... Or even for large Hardos who need a tender moment (yeah, can not be bad all day either). Compared to a 5150 or other high gain heads like "I do not lace", the comparison is hard! After all, the Peavey has no clean channel, strictly speaking, but even more distortion and distortion. Here, one can reach two extremes of a snap switch.
The other thing to know is that this amp reflects very well the personality and the sound of the instrument is connected to it. I rediscovered the sound of my guitars, and each instrument with the same settings on the receiver was really his own. The quality of violin, microphones, ... everything comes into account and all these factors that affect the sound take their meaning.

I use several guitars with this amp, plugged in a 4x12 Kustom Q412A:
-PRS SE Paul Allender (mahogany + EMG 89-81TW; standard D)
-Ibanez Xiphos XPT700 (mahogany EMG 81-81 +; standard D)
-LTD KH-602 (Maple EMG 81-81 +; Drop A # and C standard)
Squier Custom Stagemaster-7 (lime + EMG 707; Drop A #)

All these little things that make this amp is a very high quality and it also offers a very large number of possibilities. Although it is very prepaid for up to extreme styles, it is totally capable of just doing crunches or more vintage overdrive.

In summary, we have a head rather versatile and of very high quality (Made in Germany after all), extremely effective for styles more "hard" (still his favorite)!

OVERALL OPINION

I use it recently, but I&#39;m already very happy with this amp!

Very good sound quality and finishes (it&#39;s made in Germany, eh! Is beefy, and heavy, too ...-!)

In terms of price / quality ratio is simply impressive: at least € 1200 new, it has a sound, build quality and opportunities are very rare in this price range!

Apart from the abscence of footswitch supplied with the amp, there is absolutely nothing wrong with this amp ...