Engl Powerball

I just waht to shed light on a matter for all those who have given this amp a somewhat bad reveiew. Some of them might mean it, nothing can please all. But some of the reviews seem to be kind of a little narrow.

The thing I want to say is that amount of time spend with the amp testing, the guitar, effects, cabinets etc. have a lot to with the sound one will get. And of all the factors Iv mentioned, I think the guitar is one of the most prominent. The sound a guitar makes, whether good or bad has to do with how the guitar is put togehter and what components is used.

Strings, neck(neck-through, set neck, thin, fat..), body(alder, basswood, mahogany, one piece, ply..), bridge(fixed, floating, tune-o-matic..) pickups(singlecoil, humbucker, hight, hot, passive, active..) and many of the other things a guitar consist of has something to do with the overallsound.

Iv tried this amp for my self, but not for too long. And this amp sounded very good to me for the time I tried it.

This is either a 02/03 Model i bought in 04'
My Music Style Conisists of Power Metal thru to Black Metal
Basically 2 Channels with 2 modes. Claimed to be "4 Channels"
The only thing i'd probably like is a better in built noise gate.
I use this amp in a soundproofed room and would use for gigs if i had any :D.
Definately enough Power but sounds good at low volumes

I use an ESP Mirage and an LID Explorer
Both With EMG 85/81 and 81/89 respectively.
Fucking superb for my Music Stlye. Chunky/Chuggy/Tight thick low end.
For leads it provides a smooth liquidy tone i love when im sweeping or picking fast (trying to)

I think the Clean Channel does the job. But i dont really use it
Channel '2' holds no use for me

And yes, the distortion is Brutal (brewwwtal) (br00tal)

"NO problemo"

Thats about it.

ENGL is t3h Pwnz0r

Versatility: When i happened upon the Engl Powerball, i was amazed at the diversity of tones it got. I was looking for a real glassy, round and colorful clean with lots of bottom but with shimmering highs. i also wanted a nice, vintage rock-ish slightly overdriven channel that wasn't harsh, as well as a huge, in your face, thick, but clear distortion. i had been weighing the option of doing multiple heads in a rack as i was looking at fenders for clean and mesa or an 80's JCM800 for dirty, but that was costly for my wallet and my back. i was surprised that this amp (for roughly the same price as one of the mesa's i was looking at!) had all those things with many more feautres.

Style: i play anything from heavy, riff driven rock (a la Rage Against the Machine, Helmet, etc.) to reggae to more "classic" styles (U2, blues, etc.)

Channels: 4! more than i even wanted. Clean, Slightly distorted, lots of distortion, and crazy amounts of distortion.

Effects Loop: yes, with wet/dry mix knob, very transparent

Built in Noise Gate: this thing is amazing. with it on, it doesn't even seem like the amp is on, even when you have the hi gain channel cranked with your volume on your guitar all the way up. i keep it at around 12oclock so i can get plenty of sustain without it cutting out (and still have it be effective). the nice thing as well is that it doesn't affect channel 1 and 2, just the real hi gain channels, well thought out.

Extras:

"bottom" and "bright" buttons: for channel one and two, there is a "bottom" and "bright" button you can press in to give it even more tonal character in those areas. i dont know how they work, but they are different than what you can achieve with the actual EQ. there is also individual "bottom" buttons for each of the 2 hi gain channels. nice feature.

depth punch knob: there is also a "depth punch" knob which also gives it a bit of growl on the bottom end, this is global for all 4 channels.

Power amp LED's: there is also 4 lights that will light up when its respective power amp tube is going bad. basically an oil light for an amp...preventative maintence.

2 master volumes: there is also two master volumes, giving you more dynamic power to get creative dynamically. they can be switched via the pedal board

2 mid range settings: there are two mid range knobs for the hi gain channels, one is for scooped mids, another for boosted, so for either rhythm or lead. these can be switched via the pedal board.

Aesthetics: awesome metal mesh grill gives it a tough look and the red LED's behind the power tubes are a great touch.

Where do you use this amp? i use this amp in numerous places. mainly in a large room (stands about 800ish) with a big 1100 sq ft stage. it has plenty of volume for a full band with blaring monitors.

One thing i don't like however (sorry engl), is that even though there are 4 channels, the first 2 channels share a few of the tone knobs and the 2nd two channels share a few of the tone knobs. it would be nice to have 4 completely independant channels. however, a nice thing that engl did do is gave seperate treble and volue control for channel 1 and two (even though gain, low, mid, and presence knobs are shared). also, on the hi gain channels, the bottom boosts are seperated, which is nice, and you do get the mid shifting control as well as seperate volume control. even with the shared controls, you still get a TON of room to create some very unique from each other sounds. i'd give it a 9 simply for that feature, but that's being really nit-picky. so i say 10

Gear: i'm using a '64 SG with a 57 classic in the rhythm and a Suhr humbucker in the bridge (if you haven't heard of Suhr pickups or guitars, check them out). i also use a 71 SG with stock humbuckers, a modded 60's Jazzmaster with Dimarzio humbuckers in the bridge and 57 classics in the neck, a 335 style hollowbody. im not playing any single coil guitars at the moment, however because of the diversity of this amp, it's inspiring me to venture out into different areas of music to become a more versatile player and create differently.

I also am using a TC electronics G Major (which i also highly recommend) for effects going through the effects loop of the Engl. i use a Behringer FCB1010 to control it (which, for the money, is a great, versatile board, though its not the piece of gear im most excited about, but it gets the job done).

I play the amp through a Diezel 4x12, which again, i highly recommend. i like that its a 16ohm cab because it makes getting better tube sound at a bit lower of volume and gives you the ability to really crank the amp up to get ultimate sound.

The amp is a very quiet amp (when it comes to the unwanted sounds, that is), even at surprisingly loud volumes (thanks to the built innoise gate, but even if you prefer to not use it, it's still one of the quieter amps i've played).

I have gotten a tremendous amount of questions, comments, requests for a "demonstration" of the amps capabailities. it's a definite head turner, guitarists clue into this amazing sound and have to know what the heck it is that im playing through. i should be sponsored by Engl by now with how much i show off this amp. i get so many comments on the beautfiul, shimmery but full bodies and punchy clean (which i love) as well as the loud, thick, massive sound of the distortion. i was amazed at the ability to hear every single string even at high gain levels. very awesome.

i know i can depend on it when it gets down to it. it's built like a tank, hand wired, etc. i would gig without a backup (because of money, but when it gets down to it, nothing is perfect, so if i had a choice, i'd get a backup, but not because of anything the amp has done, just out of principle).

The amp has never broken down in the 2 years i've had it. however, a few months ago an odd intermittent "rustling" sound has starting coming from it at really low volumes just randomly. it goes away when i either switch channels or start playing. i changed the preamp tubes but it didnt help. im right in the middle of investigation...hopefully its under warranty whatever it is...ill post an update when i resolve it. i give it a 9 because of that, but only that.

I contacted Engl to have them help me with the "rustling" problem. They emailed me back immediately, and to my surprise it was an email from Horst Langer, the guy who actually designed the amp itself, so yer not just getting some guy working for $9/hr to give you answers from a troubleshooting manual. We did some back and forth emailing as he asked me to try things and report back to him. By the end of the week the problem was solved, and it was minor. Seems as though a power amp tube either had a bit of corrosion or wasn't quite settled in completely. No parts had to be replaced (not even tubes) and I didn't have to take it in. Horst was a very nice, thorough, and patient person to deal with. My only encounter with Engl was definitely a 10 (if not 11).

I've been playing for 12 years now (time flies). I play this amp through the Diezel 4x12 and they make a nice little family. i was looking at the Engl 4x12 cabs but couldnt find them here at the time, plus i think that the Diezel has a bit more warmth than the Engl 4x12.

If it were stolen or lost, i would be back at ToneMerchants in Orange Co. the next day. it's an absolutely life changing amp, and it's incredibly affordable (considering what you get). i always thought mesa boogie was the end all be all of big, loud, rockin amps, but i was so frustrated with the sounds i was hearing. they sounded a bit dull and lifeless, i didnt understand the hype. plus, i would start sounding like eveyrone else. if you want an amp with mesa or JCM 800 hugeness and growl (but way better tone...at least as far as the mesa is concerened) and a beautiful glassy, crystal clear and punchy clean (which mesas lack greatly), check out this amp. what a great all around, diverse amp. i've turned on so many people of so many styles on to this thing. no matter what you play, you'll probably be totally amazed at what it does.

Did you compare it to other products? Which ones? Why did you choose this one? i did compare it to a few amps. for clean, old modded fender bassman amps as well as newer fender amps. for distortion, modded JCM800 (and stock ones), mesa dual and trip rectifiers, and the Diezel Herbert. as far as the the clean goes i think fender does a great job, so i wont knock what i heard, but this amp had it too, with, i think, more avaiable tone crafting (a la the extra knobs and buttons). as far as the dirty goes, i fell in love with this modded JCM800 i played through, but it wasn't for sale. i figured at the end of the day, if i could find an old JCM800 and get it modded, i be looking at around 1400 bucks and just have one channel. then i'd have to get another head for clean so we're talkin another grand or so, plus a backache. that's why i was looking to settle on mesa, 3 channels in one. but i was just plain bummed on mesa. i actually went into ToneMerchants looking for a distortion pedal, the owner, Ed, heard me playing and said "as i was listening to you play i thought "i have to show this guy this amp."" i was so amazed i bought it that day, no buyers remorse here. we A/B'd the engl and the diezel, i have to say i liked the engl better (but in all honesty i didnt touch a single knob on the diezel cuz i didnt want to like it. at 4 grand i wanted to convince myself that this 1800 dollar amp was way better!). so i cant honestly critique the diezel.

so there's my big ol' review...hope it was some help. you can contact me if you have any questions, this forum and many others were a big help in helping me in my quest for great tone...now i've become addicted to tone (and the pursuit itself) and am hoping others can get really stoked on their sound.

Copy/paste from Engl-amps.com


4 channels: Clean, Crunch, Lo Gain Lead and Hi Gain Lead; 2 Gain knobs each for CH I (Clean & Crunch) and CH II (Lo Gain and Hi Gain Lead)

4 Volume knobs: Clean, Crunch, Lo Lead, Hi Lead; Bright and Bottom sound-shaping buttons for CH I;

Separate Bottom sound-shaping button for CH II Lo Lead and Hi Lead;

4-way voicing section, Bass, Middle, Treble Clean, Treble Crunch for CH I; 4-way voicing section, Bass, Mid Open, Mid Focused, Treble for Ch II;

CHI/II channel switch, Gain Lo/Hi, Sound style selector Open/Focused (affects all channels), Master A/B, switchable on the device or via two ENGL Z-4s or an ENGL Z-5 Custom Footswitch,

A and B power amp Master knobs;

Power amp Presence and Depth Punch knobs;

Electronic monitoring system for the power amp tubes;

Standby switch.



Rear panel:

2 stereo ?? jacks for the Z-4 two-way footswitch;

D-Sub 9 port for connecting the ENGL Z-5 Custom Footswitch;

Noise Gate Threshold for activating the lead channels' Noise Gate and setting the desired threshold for the Noise Gate;

F.X. Loop Send / Return with Balance knob;

Power amp outputs: 2 x 4 ohms, 2 x 8 ohms and 1 x 16 ohms;

100 watts, 4 6L6GC power amp tubes.

It's all relatively standard on amps in this price range, the four volume controls come in handy and the noise gate works excellent for me. Can't wish for anything more, it's all there except midi and bias switching ;)

for it's price, the features are superb, so I'll give it a 10.

(it should come with the Z5 footswitch as a standard though, thats why it gets a 9!!!)

I'm using an '89 Ibanez RG750 with dimarzio's and a Ran custom with EMG's in it.

With the RG I get tight and fluent leads, riffs come out sounding like monsters, the distortion channels are just simply amazing!
The Ran custom just throws it to another level, it has an EMG 85/81 setup, if you like the EMG tone, do yourself a favour and hook it up to the Powerball!

The cleans on the Powerball surprised me, I expected nothing but brutal distortion from this beast and oh boy did it provide! On the other hand, this amp has a great clean channel too, if you tweak the eq a bit you can get spranky, transparant cleans which just sounds great. Even with EMG's the cleans from the 85 are just incredible, I must say I prefer passive pickups for clean tones, but with the Powerball it doesn't really matter much, just turn down the gain a bunch and tweak with the eq for a while and you're set.

The amp is not very noisy, I use it at high volumes and the build-in noisegate does its job. I play in a metalcore/hardcore band and it suits my style just fine, if you're into metal and rock, you'de better try this amp. If you want vintage tones, walk straight past it, it's a modern tube amp which you could compare with the diezel vh4, bogner uberschall, vht pitbull, soldano slo100, H&K Triamp, Framus Cobra and ofcourse the Mesa Recto's.

In comparisson and in it's price class, I prefered it over the dual recto and triamp, the triamp is more versatile but not as brutal, still it's a great amp. Same goes for the recto but it's distortion just didn't do it for me, that's where all ENGL's shine, the distortion department.

This is my third Engl so far,an Engl 620 rack preamp and a Savage 60 (see other review) where/are my other Engl's. So you can say I'm addicted to them ;)

The question about the distortion beeing brutal? haha, try it out for yourself and be amazed!

NOTE: be very carefull which cab you pick with the powerball, it can make a world of difference, try everything you can get your hands on... (don't just settle with the v60's if you haven't heard other cabs)

I've played this amp live a couple of times, it hasn't let me down, I've played my other Engl's live too and they haven't let me down either, so I guess they're pretty reliable overall.

There's a safety feature in the Powerball, if there's something wrong, it just shuts down. this scared the hell outta me twice, due too cables not beeing connected properly.

I'll give it a 10 but I haven't been playing with it for over a year so who knows what happens when the tubes go out ;)

Good customer support as long as you're in mainland Europe, or so I've heard. they allways replied my emails in the past, even about my allready-out-of-production Savage 60 and 620 preamp.

I have no idea how long the warranty on this thing lasts, I've bought it used and do not have any papers with it (tough luck..)

the guy who sold it was using an Engl SE and had this as a backup, it was only used twice, lucky me, guess his Engl didn't break down either ;)

overall? great, just great if you're into the Engl tone and you love to rip it up, if you're into other tones, don't bother getting it, it's not really that versatile in the tone department. It can do a lot of tones but it's not a wonder machine, you just have to dig it's signature tone.

Like I said, this wasn't my first Engl amp, if it where lost or stolen I'de probably buy a Powerball again or maybe a Savage 120.
I've compared it to loads of boutique amps and this just fitted me best, the Diezel VH4, Bogner Uberschall and Soldano SLO100 are the only amps that came close for me and they where out of my price range, plus I didn't think the Bogner was that much better at all. The Diezel and Soldano really impressed me though, who knows someday in the future. For now my Powerball suits me just fine, for the cash I payed for it, I surely couldn't have bought anything better!

- two channels with boost(lo hi), so 1 : clean, crunch, 2 : distortion, ridiculous amounts of distortion :D
- 3 band passive eq on each channel, seperate treble controls for clean and crunch, seperate mid controls on ch2 for open/focused
- mid open/focused switch, affects all channels : basically a modern/vintage or rhythm/lead switch.
- bright and bottom buttons for ch1, seperate bottom buttons for ch2 lo or hi
- noise gate on ch2
- presence and depth controls
- fx loop
- 2 mastervolumes
- ch, mid, boost, mastervolume switching

Used it on rehearsal so far, with a Bogner 212 oversized V30. Loud as hell, cuts through perfectly. Have to mind the bass amounts, because I drowned out the bassplayer at first.

I have a LAG Roxanne : mahogany with hot alnico humbuckers. Have played on it with EMG equipped Jackson, and some guitars with SD's, and those worked even better. I'm getting a LAG with JB's now.

My style goes from 60's psych, prog, fusion, metal, punk, electro....
This amp, in combination with a couple of stomps and a GMajor suits it all.

The noise gate is no luxury : ch2 is noisy, very much in contrast with the Screamer I've played, and you really need good control to get the right feedback you need, and not just squeals. I've got the noise gate on max, and you need to keep more than a meter at least from the amp, but then it sings and roars like it should.

The clean can stay very clean, and it's very glassy.
The distortion is very brutal, but very transparent if you keep it under 12' o clock on the lo gain mode. Which already has more than enough gain.

It is really loud. My channel volumes are between 10 and 12' o clock, and I can't put the master past 3 without blowing eardrums and musicians against the wall. Haven't tried it on stage yet, but I'm sure it'll suffice.

I will be getting a hotplate, because it starts to really sound good from 10'. But that's too loud for practicing/recording.

Overall, it has a very tight and somewhat processed sound, which may be mistaken for SS'ish, but it sounds creamy tube, no doubt about it.

Have to see yet.

Mailing Engl itself is a waste of time, but Peerlings, the distributor is very good, and so is Bernd, the product specialist.

I must say I work in a music shop, and have pesterd my boss into becoming an Engl dealer recently. But before that, I already had contact with Bernd, and that was great.

I've been playing for more than 20 years, have owned JCM800, Kitty Hawk, Rivera, Line6, the 530 and more. Working in a music shop, I have been able to try out Marshalls, Peaveys, Mesa with loads of guitars.
This is the most versatile and cost/features most interesting one, and I prefer the sound to the others. Only Diezel surpasses it, but they're way more expensive.

This amp is versatile enough, you can play all styles, from jazz to detah metal, blues.. 4 channels ok, actually 2 divided into 4 i wil the 4 channels were totally apart (adjustable) i use it everywhere i never play others amplifire.. all tube power excellent

before this i had a 5150, the differnt between this & a 5150 for me is the 5150 is much harder, but the gain amount is almost the same & the clean channel of the powerball is much way much better.

* What guitar and pickup styles are you using it with?
all my guitars are Gibson with EMG 81/85

* How does it suit your music style (and what is that style)?
From ac/dc to trashmetal death metal, lot of solo stuuf

* Is it noisy? On what settings, and in what environments?
not at all, bu i have to say that the same top on a ENGL cab sounds less noisy than the same top on other cabs

* What kind of sounds can the amp make? How much variety?
all kind of styles

* Is the clean channel distorted at high volumes?
no at all

* How brutal is the distortion?
This is the best distortion for my taste i've hear in years

* Can you depend on it? Would you use it on a gig without a backup?
Yes, i dont have any backup & no money for backups

* Has the amp ever broken down? Because of neglect of regular servicing (as in tubes), or just plain neglect?
Nope i got this 3 months

No idea, but i can trust the shop were i got this top

* How long have you been playing? What other gear do you own?
for almost 15 years, i had a 5150 before ( i still have this ;-)

* If it were stolen or lost, would you buy it again or get something else?
I hope this never happen, i will go for an ENGL again for sure

* what do you love about it? What do you hate?
I love it looks so good, the noisy redoctur, the midi control possibilitys.

test this machine !! with different cabs.. so you can get a better idea the different this top can sound on different cabs

I am the author of the review posted on 12/14/04. The most recent author made comments infering that in my case this amp (Engl Powerball)did not "cut through" the mix due to the fact that it was mis-applied (wrong speakers/cab and poor use of EQ). I would like to clear a few things up: (1) I have been playing guitar, both live and in recording situations for a LONG time. (2) I played this amp through several different cabs including: A Peavey 5150 4x12, a Mesa Boogie rectifier oversized 4x12 cab (the industry standard for high gain applications), a Marshall 4x12 cab made in the early eighties, a Diezel 4x12 front loaded cab and a cheap but reliable Behringer/Jensen stereo 4x12 cab. While some sounded better than others, NONE of these cabs/speakers were able to make this amp "stand out" or "cut through" the mix in a band/performance enviroment. (3) I own/have owned many amplifiers (vintage,modern,boutique,stock and modified) over the years...and I have played many 50 and 60 watt heads and combos that are twice as loud and cut through better than this Engl. (4) I know how to EQ an amplifier. I am a partial owner of a recording studio and have worked with some great producers and engineers. I am not a 12 year old NU METAL kid who scoops all the mids out of his tone while cranking the bass and treble. I really wanted to like this amp and spent a VERY long time working patiently with all the available settings. The problem with this amp is the way it is VOICED. This can not be fixed by working with the EQ settings. I will say it again: This is a decent sounding amp (probably not $1800.00 decent...but decent). It is not loud, it does not cut through the mix and is prone to noise and feedback...Please demo this amp thoroughly before you buy it. there are many better amps in the $1000.00-$2000.00 range. THANK YOU!

Mine was bought in 2004. Got a Z-5, 6 button custom footswitch as well. Look up the features on the ENGL site. Basically 4 channels, going from warm responsive clean ups to the heaviest type of Metal you can imagine. I'm not really missing anything, I thought about buying an EHX Holy Grail before I ordered it, but I never seemed to miss the reverb when I got it. I use this amp everywhere, bedroom to stage. It's got so many options, that every time I use another guitar or wish to go from let's say Progressive Rock to Lynch Mob (80's kinda Metal/Rock) it doesn't take me long to get there when playing with the knobs. I find the bottom switches on channel 2,3,4 very effective, not to mention the bright switch on the clean channel, it just enriches the cleans. The two master volumes are also very handy! ENGL did a great job!

It's a 100W but frankly, it isn't as loud as others. It's loud enough for big venues sure, but when you'd crank your Dual Recto (shitty amp might I add) to 5, it'll drown the Powerball out in volume. Mic-ing it would be an option, but honestly I don't know who would need more volume except if you were a pro and played large Arenas.

The looks simply can't be beaten, with the amp cranked it looks like it's on fire behind the grill! Built like a tank

I'm currently using a Jackson Ontario Custom Shop KE2 w/ Seymour Duncan JB and Jazz pick ups, an '87 Gibson Designer V w/ Bill Lawrence L500XL bridge and Seymour Duncan George Lynch Screamin' Demon in the neck (it's not a neck pick up, but sounds cool if you mod it a little) and a '70 Fender Strat stock. My styles can be found in George Lynch (Lynch Mob being my favorite Lynch band), Marty Friedman (ex-Megadeth), Al DiMeola, Santana, Prashant Aswani (amazing funk shredder!) and Zakk Wylde. Something which is important to note, because it does influence your sound a lot, especially with the Powerball is the cab. I'm using a Mesa 1x12 loaded with a Black Shadow 90 speaker.

It suits my musical style really well, an amazing amp really! It is noisy, but it's got a noise gate which works fine for me, don't know what the previous reviewers are talking about.

Ch1: Most Dutch Powerball owners kept telling me the clean channel wasn't much to brag about, so I actually considered a Savage 120 first. I'll give them one thing, if you don't want to spent 5 minutes dialing in a great clean tone, indeed buy a Savage 120. I found an amazing clean tone after I worked the knobs for like 5 minutes. Very responsive, the Jazz pick up in my KE2 especially shines with this channel. It gives it that extra sparkle! A funny fact to note is that most of those PB owners used high output pick ups. That's about the stupidest thing one could do with a high gain amp such as the Powerball, unless they stay clear and don't break up easilly like my JB. I play a lot of Latin and DiMeola-ish stuff on this channel. It doesn't break up fast, only if you really crank the volume and gain, and again use high output pick ups.

Ch2: Basically Marshall territory. It has about as much or a maybe a tad more gain compared to the JCM800 2555SL. You can totally nail that sound as well, although purists won't agree (do they ever?), it really can. It doesn't have a ton of gain, but enough to play Guns n' Roses or Deep Purple. The bottom switch is only effective when you crank the amp. When I first tried this channel it reminded me of my old JCM800 2210, with more gain ofcourse. I use it for those slightly overdriven clean runs, but like I wrote earlier it can do so much more!

Ch3: Imagine going from 90's Metal to insane Death Metal. I usually turn the gain to 11 o'clock (4 on the indicator) and it gets me the most harmonically rich, sustaining, yet incredibly clear and ballsy high gain. If you're a bad player or don't play solos, sure you can crank it up but I need the clarity and it growls like Zakk Wylde's Les Paul w/ Black Label. Always try to find that balance between gain and volume, if you use too much gain you'll lose definition. Every guitar and pick up sounds different and palm muting is insane with the bottom switch engaged. It's like chuggah-chuggah. (artificial) Harmonics jump like crazy if you know how to do 'em. With the bottom switch off and slightly less gain I can nail George Lynch on the REH video (he uses an ENGL Straight, the Powerball is the evolved version of that amp)

Ch4: Picks up where Ch3 leaves off, more gain, more bottom end, but unfortunately it sounds more sterile if you crank the gain too much. If you turn it past 1 o'clock (6 on the indicator) and crank the volume it'll get sterile. It's the channel I play in the evening, because it's got more tube-crunch on low volumes compared to Ch3.

I want to add some VERY USEFUL ADVISE, please read this: The two previous reviewers stated the PB doesn't cut thru in band situations. If you're thinking what I'm thinking, it's the cabs and speakers. But I want to advise you not to use Vintage 30 speakers with this head (the famous speakers to cut through the mix). They'll only make the high end more fuzzy and the amp will lose a little bit of bottom end. The best speakers sounding speakers with this head are (they'll also help you cut thru in a bandsituation): Greenbacks, Eminence V12s, Classic Lead 80, or EN

Depend on it? Ofcourse! The first thing i noticed was how thick the housing of the amp was compared to my other amps. As for protection it's virtually stage-and-rooky-proof. Meaning it'll take one hell of a beating before it'll break down on you. The parts are all top-notch, and it looks beautiful as well. Sure I would've liked it to have a snake-skin tolex, but maybe it would've been over the top haha, so a 10 is in order here.

The footswitch also has a very solid housing, it'll take your 10 pound boots Metalhead ;-)!

Never dealt with them, sorry!

When I first decided to buy a new head I was thinking about the Framus Cobra (amazing amp as well, Germans sure know their stuff!), ENGL Savage 120 and Savage SE, Soldano Hot Rod 100+, Steavens Poundcake, Bogner Uberschall or VHT Pitbull CL50. The thing that scared me off about the Powerball was that many dutch people had one, people never really cheered about the clean channel (which I really needed for my Latin licks) and the stories about it being low volume. Eventually I decided I didn't care because at least half of your tone is from your fingers, I'd be willing to take a risk on that clean channel and I could always mic the amp if I needed more volume. My point being, take these reviews like a grain of salt and go to a store and test it! I tried to review mine as objectively as possible, but there'll always be people who think otherwise.
If it were stolen, I'd first laugh at the person who stole it because he had to move the Powerball in a short amount of time in order for me not to catch him (it's a heavy amp!), and pound a wall because I finally found a great tone and it was stolen!
If you're also going back and forward with the Savage 120 and Powerball, let me state the difference as simple as possible. Gainwise the Powerball is ballsier, but the Savage is tighter. Clean the Savage is more versatile, but the PB can get you very nice clean ups as well.
It can get you Bogner Uberschall tones, not dead on, but incredibly close. European players will be glad to hear that, because the price-difference is really big compared to the Bogner. The PB is more versatile, but the Bogner has that bite. If I'd buy another head it'd probably be a Framus Cobra or a Steavens Poundcake, not because they're better but because they cover other types of grounds gainwise.

Have fun with your Powerball, and mail me if you need to know anything. It might take me a while to reply but I always do! A lot of people seem to mail me and that's ok with me, I'm here to help!

You know the features. One thing I would like to say is that "four channels" is a deceptive statement at best. This is actually a two channel head that is split into four. I would still consider it somewhat versitile.

This amp is made for heavy music. It does, however have a very good clean for a high gain head. The medium gain sounds are reasonable and the high gain sounds are decent. I was not "blown away" by any of the tones found in this amp. OK here's the deal: this is a bedroom amp...period. It sounds good at low volumes and will remain "tight" and articulate with loads of gain. BUT TRY THIS AMP WITH A BAND AND YOU HAVE PROBLEMS. (1)Unbelievebly noisey...feedback for days, and yes it's true, the built noise-gate does nothing. (2) This amp does not "cut through" the mix in a band enviroment...AT ALL. Because of the understated mid-voice of this amp it gets absolutely destroyed in a live/rehersal situation. (3) This amp is NOT LOUD. I have never heard a 100 watt head that lacks this much power and punch. (4) As you turn this amp up...you loose tone. The powerball begins to sound very compressed and artificial at higher volume settings...bummer.

It seemed durable for the two months that I owned it.

I have had no dealings with ENGL.

If you play at home, at low volumes this is a decent amp (maybe not $1600.00 decent) but I consider it almost useless for anything else, with the possible exception of recording...look around, very few pro musicians are playing this over-hyped amp live, there is a reason for that. My honest recomondation is if you are into this type of super high-gain tone...save some $$$ and get a Peavey 5150 II...and if you want that 5150 II to sound "boutique" and articulate then send it to Trace at Voodoo amps. Sorry ENGL...this amp needs to go back to the drawing board.

I had a chance to play with the Powerball,Savage 120, Blackmore, Screamer, Fireball and Thunder 50 heads. They all seem to sound great when playing at the store. Although out of all the ones I've tried the Thunder 50 and Blackmore were the ones that sounded the most impressive. There tones were more organic....I'm thinking because they have less circuitry affecting the natural tone of the amp. Less knobs the better! But, I want to cut to the chase and I have to agree with the previous reviewer. I wasn't as impressed with the amp during a band situation. I'll have to be honest I had the Thunder 50 as oppose to the Powerball but, I certainly played the PB quite a few times at the store at high volumes as well as the Thunder 50, both are very similar in terms of sound and volume. I think it's fair to state my opinion on it. The Engl amps including the Powerball don't have a certain presence that cut through the mix during band rehearsals or possibly even gigs, while it's going to be miced up majority of the times I still don't think it's going to cut the mustard as well as it should. I could be wrong though. But, I remember one time watching a band and this guitarist using a Screamer and I'll be honest again...I had a hard time hearing his amp...maybe bad live sound from the sound guy or whatever but, needless to say I was able to hear the next band guitar amps as oppose to the Screamer...and the guy was using a Marshall MG100 series head...go figured????. From my experience the sound did not pierce through heavy drums and thick bass very well. It seems the sound dissipates around everything instead of cutting through like the other British amps. I noticed that British amps like Marshall, Orange, and Laney are not only very loud but has great midrange that always peirce through the mix like an arrow. I remember also that I almost maxed the volume on my amp . For a tube amp. You should not have to do that at all! You should have plenty of volume to spare! Anyway, I believe that the Powerball overly hyped amps and you certainly need to take the time to listen for yourself before you buy it and while you're testing it out. Make sure you get a return policy from them so you can return it back if you don't want it. And if they don't have a return policy I would strongly suggest you blast the amp and give it the works! Don't buy into sound clips..sure it may sound great but, the real test is to make sure that it can sound strong and clear when playing loud with your band. Unless you don't have one or any desire to be in a band. But, then why even bother with a hundred watt head.