Engl E530 Preamp

I use this tube amp for mostly metal styles, but it has an amazing tonal range.

Effectively, there's 4 channels. There's a clean channel, and a gain channel, and a hi/lo gain switch for both. Meaning you can get from a subtle crunch to a driving rage :P. There's also an optional footswitch to switch between these channels, and you could also plug your own footswitch into it. Effects loop yes, headphone jack yes (powered by an independant 2*1.5w power amp).

I use the bog standard pickups in my Ibanez RG370dx, but the sounds I get from this sound amazing. It suits my style perfectly, can get some really brutal sounding distortions and yet all the notes sound perfectly. The clean channel is great too, I was surprised how good it was to be honest.

I havent had it long, so I cant really comment. As for playing without a backup, I would just to be on the safe side, but i cant afford too :P

This amp is amazing, I run it through a Marshall EL34 50/50 into a 1960B cab, I've never been so pleased with my tone, and I'm very picky :P. Obviously id advise you to tryd play one of these things before you buy it, but i found it hard to come by in England.

Basically, if you're looking for good low end and crisp clear notes yet brutal distortion, and this amp is affordable, then i recommend this greatly.

Made in 2005, The amp is great for hard rock and metal and GREAT for shred!!! I am a Prog/shred player. This preamp with my Mesa 2:90 thru my Avatar Cab with Celestion Vintage 30s RIPS!!!!!! Awesome tone!!!!!!

The tone!! WOW is all I can say! I plugged my John Petrucci Signature Music Man into the Engl straight out of the box I had the Dream Theater Images and Words tone! The clean is great! If its got some grit to it, just roll back the volume of your guitar and your set!
The distortion is amazing I love this preamp!!!!

Ive had it for 1 week. so no problems yet!

I bought the preamp from Jeff at the Grand Piano Haus www.grandpianohaus.com
Jeff is Awesome!!! He is great!!!

I Love this amp!!!!! Nothing can touch it!!!!

This preamp kicks, i love it way more than the mesa quad i used to have. i like the ease of use more than the JMP-1 i had for a while too. the features are sweet and simple, channel one controls : gain, bass, mid, treble, volume. bright swith. channel two : gain, bass, lo mid, high mid, treble, volume, lo/high gain switch. effects loop, headphone jack, all tube, great tone.


easy to dial in amazing cleans, raunchy overdrive, and insane gain. i got the Z-4 footswitch and have instant access to all the sounds i need from this amp. i use a mesa 50-50 power amp into a soldano 2x12 and marshall 4x10.

this is the sound i have had in my head since i could remember, its just what i want.

i play a fender strat w/ emgs (SSH) and another strat w/ stock single coil pickups. it sounds great with both, but i have to say the emg's just shine with this preamp. it suits my style well, channel one with the high gain switched is just perfect for rock, blues, jam, etc..

not noisy at all, i mean with any high gain setting there is some noise, but the clean is perfectly quite, i am pleased with how it sounds with all the pedals i use. right now i have 11 pedals and two rack units!!!!


if you want brutal distortion this will not let you down, with a good poweramp i dont really even need any distortion pedals. you can find lots of good sounds very easily.

owned it for less than a year, never let me down yet. its pretty protected in my rack, but i would trust the construction.

didnt really deal with them yet. havent heard anything bad about them, only good things

I LOVE IT, i have no more amp GAS. the tone is there and easy to find. i have a good 31 band eq and i am set. i would own this hands down over any rectifier out there. dont get me wrong i love most mesa's, but this amp to me is way more than a high gain modern amp, i get lots of good sounds that surprise everyone i play with. i have owned a fender blues deluxe, mesa nomad 55 head, marshall jmp-1, mesa quad, and a marshall tube combo, this is the best sounding by far.