Engl Powerball

2004 Engl Powerball
Many features that have already been mentioned in previous reviews. Ill rate it at 8 because some of the features are more "usable" than others and because the footswitch is a close to $200 option.

I am In 2 touring bands and play very progressive , technical Metalcore. I Used a Gibson Lespaul Standard, studio and a G&L Comanche while I had this amp. (operative word being "had") Although this amp has many tonal varieties and some interesting features it wasnt particularly well suited for my playing style. The first problem I had with this amp was that it was by far the noisiest Hi-gain amplifier that I have ever owned. The Onboard Noise gate was totally useless at high gain/high volume levels. Playing music with dynamic starts and stops the noise levels and feedback were unmanagable without an external noise suppressor. But, employing an external noise suppressor made switching between channels akward because the threshold had to be set very Hi and would adversly affect the sound quality of the Lo gain and clean channel. SO youd have too first switch channels then switch off the Noise gate.
The clean channel was by far the best clean channel on a modern hi-gain amplifier that Ive played, very glassy and articulate with lots of headroom. Breakup began after rolling the gain knob past 12 o'clock. The Crunch channel also had many useful applications and was very marshall like in its tone and gain structure, I Did use these channels frequently in recent recording sessions. channel 3 and 4 the high gain and lead channel respectivly, were lacking. Although the overall tones were Good they were lacking. First off the powerball isnt as overtly aggressive as other popular high-gain amplifiers and that might be desirable to some (not to me): notes do ring out with clarity. there are many tone sculpting options. but overall the amp lacks "presence" and I don't mean the EQ variety of presence, but rather stage presence: I have never had to turn an amp as loud as the powerball in order to be merely audible. I had to max it out just to compete with the other guitarplayers triple rectifier which was turned up to "4". Also I found the Bottom end to be grossly embelished by Engl. It wasnt nearly as tight and profound as was stated and it had a wholly un-organic sound to it, very artificial and compressed.

I didnt have it long enough to really find out, but to Engl's credit it does seem to be well built.

This is where my biggest problem with Engl was. When I originally called Engl USA to inquire about the MSRP I was told that it was $1599, But when I called 3 weeks later ( after doing research about the Powerball) and was ready to order I was told that the price had gone up to $1839, after protesting, the somewhat disheveled sounding sales associate offered it to me at $1700 which I accepted, after all I was very interested after reading scores of positive reviews and despite my wariness to purchase an amplifier without playing it first. The Amp shipped quickly and was well packed. After playing the Powerball for 3 days I called EnglUSA to express my dissatisfaction with it and told of my intent to return it to them. The same associate told me that the amp was not returnable, he asked me what the specific problem with it was, and then proceeded to tell me that the cabinets I tried it with (mesa rectifier 4X12) was "horrible" and to try it with a marshall (which I did, and big surprise didnt make me love the powerball anymore), and If I was still dissatisfied with it I should have no problem selling it on ebay. Not in my opinion great customer service.

After keeping it for 3 months and really trying to make it work for me I did end up selling it on ebay for $1325. I lost $375 on an amp that was only 3 months old and in mint condition but I learned a valuable lesson: Never buy an amp based on hype Alone!! Always try an amp out with your Own guitar in order to make sure it suits all of your needs. After getting rid of the powerball I bought a Mesa triple Rectifier a Bogner Uberschall and plan on buying an Ecstacy to A/b with the uberschall. All 3 much better sounding amps. Hopefully this review will be helpful to others.

I've had my Powerball for around 2 years.Tons of knobs an stuff. Too many features if you ask me. It is too easy to forget about tone and even playing to worry about all the settings and using them all. The fact that it has such a big pedal is a little much for me. I am a little ADHD and am switching to a Thunder 50 combo for several reasons: one being the simplicity.
Very versatile.

I use all kinds of electric guitars. They all sound great. This Thing sounds amazing. The clean channel sounds fantastic. Amazing. Fom crystal clean to a nice crunch w/ the gain all the way up. The Crunch channel gets really Marshally. The power amp distro on this thing is awesome. The soft lead channel is great too. It is the main channel I use. I don't use all of the gain though. I 've begun to appreciate power amp istortion in my old age.
The Heavy Lead channel is ridiculous!! I never use it any more. It is too much distortion. Too much. It sounds good and all but why would anyone need this?
As I said before I am going for a Thunder Combo as it is lighter,simpler almost as loud and has all the sounds that I need and use.
Blows away Mesa Distortion (no pedal needed)and Marshall crunch. No contest.
BTW I play i through a Marshall 1936 2x12 w/ vintage 30s.

Never had a problem except for the jack input rattling loose after a couple of years. I put a washer under it and have not had a problem since. I've gigged it about 20 times and have never had a problem

These guys never respond to email. Ever! The folks at at Engl USA are a little clueless. I asked about the Moffatt Thunder 50 Combo and they said they were discontinued. Then I called Scott Splawn at Splawn guitars he said they were listed as being available. He said he would email them to make sure. They hadn't gotten back to him in a few days so I called Germany and they assured me that getting a Moffatt Thunder 50 was "no problem"

I've been playing 20 years or so. I love the fact that it sounds bad ass but hate that it is so big and heavy and anytime I want to play a small part in the studio or go somewhere to gig or practice I have to lug the entire rig around.I am selling the head and the z5 switch for $1500. Contact me if you want to buy it. I am currently in Mesa AZ. Too many folks think they are rock stars and need a huge rig. I know I am not but I also know that a good 50 watt combo can hang on ANY stage miced or run through an extension cab.I am getting a Thunder combo. Engl rules!!!!

Mine is the 2004 version. 100W all-tube with 4 x 6L6GC's lit with bright red LEDs behind them (looks very nice in the dark). Channel 1 is the clean one and it has a very nice pristine clear sound. Over to Channel 2, it adds a bit of british crunch into it and sounds excellent for that AC/DC or Iron Maiden style stuff. Channel 3 pushes the gain to metal levels, and proves to be an excellent lead channel with very nice midrange tone. Channel 4 is where all hell breaks loose, where most metalheads will spend their time on. It's just incredible (more on that later).

It has 4 channels, as just mentioned, and you can either switch channels via the front control panel, or with an external switch pedal (such as the ENGL Z-5). It has an FX loop with a balance control knob (Dry - Wet). No headphone jack (heh, you'd probably turn deaf anyways). I do wish it would have a line-out for those late-night recording sessions, but I guess you can't have all for such a nice price. It also features a noise gate knob in the back, which activates when you turn it past 9 o'clock. It works very well, though at times it can go on and off (*chk* *chk* *silence* *chk* *silence*) if it's not turned up a bit more. As far as I hear, it doesn't affect the amp tone at all, which is a big plus. Certainly usable at loud volumes, if you don't want that idle hissing with big gain levels.

I use this amp mainly at home and in band training, and of course the occasional live moments. It sounds unusally good even at bedroom levels for a tube amp, and it manages to maintain a big portion of the natural chunk associated with tube amps. Very nice, ENGL!

As for features, it really does what it has to, perfectly. I don't want an amp with cheap-o effects built into it. I can get some better effects as pedals or rack effects, if I want them. By itself, it has very nice features.

I have to take away one point from the lack of line-out, though. Consider this a 10 if you don't need a line-out.

I use my Jackson DX7 7-string for playing (mainly Fear Factory, Meshuggah, Opeth, Dream Theater) and they all sound incredible with this baby. Palm mute shredding has elevated into a completely new level compared to my previous Peavey Studio Pro 112. As for that deep palm mute *chunnngggggggggg*, you just have to hear it in person - loud. I don't see how anything could beat this, this is The Exact Tone I've been looking for all my life.

The amp can be a bit noisy on Channel 4 with gain at around 5 / 10 (PLENTY on this one!), but the noise gate fixes the majority of that. Clean sounds are extremely clean even at high volumes, which is very nice.

Going through all 4 channels at various gain levels, you can go from Led Zeppelin to AC/DC to Joe Satriani to Metallica to Gary Moore to Fear Factory to Emperor. This baby has it all. Add your favorite fuzz / ProCo Rat and you'll get an incredible Electric Wizard style stoner rock tone.

As with anything German, this amp will most likely survive a nuclear war and sound even better after that. The amp weighs 21 kg and will go for a small morning excercise by moving it around a bit. Built from full wood and with an iron front grille + stainless steel control panel plate (you won't find plastic in this one!), this is one of the sturdiest things I've ever seen in the music instrument area.

I don't really see any ways for you to destroy this except misuse, like playing cold tubes or dropping it during use. But those would kill anything anyways.

I'm definitely gigging with this without any backups.

Haven't dealt with them yet.

I've been playing electric guitar since January 2000 and acoustic since 1997, and this is the best amp I've heard so far (including recorded album ones). This is most likely the only amp you'll need during your lifetime, even when you go the full road from a beginner to multi-million selling artist. Sure it costs a lot, but this will last a lifetime and you won't be even thinking about other amps after playing this.

2004, 4 channel, built in noise gate, FX loop
Tubes!!! Nice, pretty red tubes.

I use an American Jackson (RR-1) with EMG81 - 85 setup.
Clean: Crisp, singing with tone. I'm in a melodic metal band and I play a lot neo classical, but, this clean tone is so good it made me start to want to write complete songs in this channel.
Crunch: Similar to clean actually lol, if you lower your gain significantly to get a perfectly clean tone the crunch channel isnt far off, but, with a twist of your gain knob it becomes great for classic rock and all the sort.
Lead channels: All I can say is this amp roars; it doesnt crush, it doesnt kill and most importantly it doesnt butcher.
It Epitomizes what crisp high gain should sound like.
There is but one problem....NOISE it is without a doubt the noisiest amp I've ever heard. On the hi lead channel(4) Gain has to be around 12 o' clock with the presence down etc to kill all noise, noise gate is errr kind of worthless. However, with an NS-2 Noise suppressor and the built in gate functioning I've performed live with the gain at 9 and the volume cranked with no noise. So, if you want really good metal tone, you'll be needing an external gate.

This German survives a lot better than the ones in world war II

I've never had to deal with them. But, I'm sure they are fine.

I've been playing about 5 years; I have went through many pieces of modern gear that are known to suit my style (MesaBoogie, Marshall, XXX) Nothing comes close to clarity and singing tones you receive from the Powerball.
If it were stolen I would cry... for a long time and beg my grandma to buy me a new one.
I wish it had some reverb to add warmth to the leads, but, no amp is perfect though this one comes the closest.

I baught the amp brand new so it should be a 2004 model. It's very versatile and you can get great sounds out of it right away. It's not like one of those amps that frustrate you until you get a perfect setting. There are already many reviews that talk about the feautres and aslo the ENGL website has it's features, so I'm not going to write about the features here. But it's basically 4 channels and has enough features to get a huge range of sounds and settings. Another great thing about it is, even though it's a very loud 100 watt amp, it sounds great at bedroom levels.

I baught an Ibanez Jem7vwh a week before buying the Powerball, and that guitar sounds amazing through it. And i use the ENGL Vintage 412 cab. I really like the clean channel. It sounds very nicely balanced, highs mids and lows ring out perfectly with a very clear organic sound. The crunch channel (ch. 2) is also great. with the gain and presence turned up a bit, it sounds very Marshall like. This channel can do from Pink Floyd to AC/DC and more.. The low lead channel (ch. 3) is just amazing, before I baught this amp my main concern was that the Powerball might not be so good for leads, but now i have no doubts, i love this channel for both lead and rhythm playing, it gives great feedback. The high lead channel (chn. 4) is pretty similar to the lo lead, except it sounds more compressed and has a little more gain. I don't really use this channel as much as chn. 3 because chn. 3 already has more than enough gain for me, i have the gain set at around 12:00 and thats pretty much all the gain i need for what i usually play. But if you ever want that chunky, compressed, over the top distortion then channel 4 will take good care of you. so it's definitely useful. This amp is also very quiet for a high gain amp, it only gets a small hiss at mid to high volumes on channels 3 and 4, but the noise gate in the back takes care of it...

I've only had it for 8 days, so i can't tell.

When I decided to buy an amp, i went out and tried a whole bunch of great amps including Soldano SLO 100; Bogner Uberschall; Mesa Boogie Single/Dual/Triple Rectifiers, Mark III and Mark IV; Marshall JCM 800, TSL 100, DSL 100, Marshall Mode 4; Bad Cat HotCat; Framus Cobra; Peavy XXX; Carvin Legacy; H&K TriAmp MK2; and some others , and all of these amps are great at their own right, but i think it's safe to say that the ENGL Powerball is by far the best overall sounding amp for me and it's very simple to use yet as versatile as it gets. I also recommend the ENGL Vintage 412 cab and the Z5 footswitch.

This particular head is a brand new 2004 model. Nothing different from the 2003 but what can i say. i like the shiny stuff. This is by far the most versatile tube amp every produced. You dont need a rack full of effects to make it scream. It takes care of itself. Channel by channel... I wont put all the deets in here as you cud just scroll up and read the technicals, but the clean is crystal and piercing. the mild crunch channel has unbelievable versatility. the low lead channel is confusing (b/c you wonder why it says low gain *simply amazing*) and last but not the least, channel 4. the high lead channel. Brutal and MASSIVE SOUND! The Powerball sounds way beyond 100 watts. There is no need to turn the volume up to any extremes. equipped with 4 6L6's (RED ONES MUAHAHAHA) This is all the light show you will need for the stage. Also a genius noise gate that you will appreciate more than the sound itself.

Our band plays progressive music. Dream Theater influenced. Alot of Melody and alot of need for versatility. The other guitarist in my band bought a Marshall Mode Four which i like alot. it also has 4 channels and as far as options, compares to the Engl. *keep in mind i love pure tube tone so i stuck with Engl* I use an Ibanez JS1000(fred pickups), Ernie Ball/MM John Petrucci 7 string(w/ piezio option-*which soundz unbelievably amazing on this amp*.), and 2 Schecter Omen 6's ...so basically i have very high output guitars. I put my gain at about 1-2 o clock. which is a little over half way up. which right there is MIND BOGGLING BRUTAL DISTORTION That is unheard of on any amplifier i have every played. *keep in mind i have played EVERY high gain amplifier that is available* i have also played this amp side by side with the Bogner Uberschall. Now of course i love the Uberschall. BUT!!! the uberschall does not have 4 channels. nor duz it have the noise gate, nor do i have the money to buy such a beast. The Powerball's clean channel stood out WAY MORE than the Bogner's. And unbelievably i loved the lead channels a bit more. One was not raunchier than the other. the Powerball just has more of a general GREAT TONE. and it has massive bottom end. oh yes and the four channels made my decision a bit easier. The reason i talk about comparing alot is that i had my heart set on an uberschall. i even had the money in my pocket to go buy one that day. Thankfully i listened to the Newly acquired Engl and made the better buy. This is perhaps the loudest head i have ever heard. The clean stays pristine even at the highest volumes. and u will NEVER EVER EVER EVER HEAR of the distortion bogging out. even with low tunings *baritones and 7 strings are your best friends when playing with this amp* I believe this amp could satisfy ANYONE with ANY style they played... I love brutal tones and ear piercing cleans. this amp does it all, and then some.

this thing is so thick *verbally and physically* The way this thing was built puts a sign of relief on my face thats for sure. i had a Hughes and Kettner Tube 100 that i barely dropped and it blew up so i am a little more careful with this one. although im sure it cud take SOME abuse *dont try at home* I have only had this for a month or so. No problems yet.

I think ENGL really respects their customers. They even put you on their website if u have a pic *haha im on there* this massive beast has a SIX YEAR WARRANTY! while our marshall 350MF has a 6 month warranty. hmmm?? lol id like to think Andrew and Jeff at showcase music for their help and support. i wud die if something were to happen to this thing. i wud CERTAINLY buy a new one.

Im only 15. I feel that i am experienced enuff to have a respected opinion though. i have more knowledge of guitar's and amplifiers than some of those who actually build them. i just want you to listen to this opinion. i have owned and played some amazing amplifiers. Some that come to mind are the Bogner Uberschall(sweet), Ecstacy(nice options), and Shiva(love to have it for small gigs), the Marshall Mode Four(nuff said), JCM 800 and 2000, Hughes and Kettner Tube 100(great head), and other H&K combos*bleh*, Genz Benz El Diablo(still forming opinion), Crate Blue Voodoo(dont tempt urself to buy crap) Peavey 5150II(um neh)...The Mesa Rectos i like to an extent but wouldnt buy one unless i bought the Road King *groovy lil amp right there* that and the C+'s.. THE ENGL POWERBALL is a better amp than all of these mentioned in some form or fashion. I cannot honestly say i want nething more out of this amp. i cannot ask for more gain...i cant ask for a better clean. WAIT!!! i can say that the Reverb on this is not to my liking. but then again i dont use any straight from the amp. id go effects anyway. For once in my career i dont want an effect to *hop up* my head. I am suprized that i didnt pay more forthis amp. You must get this. You will be satisfied and u will never want another head to replace it.

Very veratile, replacing my VHT Pitbull 50CL for that reason, I need a good clean sound and crunch, lead and bonkers lead with simplicity as I sing as well. The features have already been listed many times below. It is plenty loud enough but sounds really good at any volume, perfect for me as we play some small pubs as well as big shows. I use it with an intellifex in the loop, the only thing I wish it had was a button on the footswitch for the loop on/off. Thats why it gets a 9. As I am the lead singer and guitarist I can't tapdance too much.

I use a Musicman Luke (with the vintage trem), a 2003 Les Paul Standard 50's neck with Burstbuckers, and a fender Strat with Bareknuckle Trilogy suite pups. I have a dunlop rotovibe, crybaby and tubescreamer in front of the amp and the Intellifex in the loop.

Clean : Lovely full, fat clean sound with a really sweet ring to it, perfect with chorus for arpeggio ryth parts like parisienne walkways etc. With the "focused" mid switched you can really get that clean but sustaining BB King sound. Swith the contour off and you are bach to Nothing else matters etc.

Crunch : Great for classic rock AC-DC sounds woderfull, with the tube screamer you could use this for a classic rock gig all night as it cleans up great with guitar's volume control.

Lead Low Gain : Low gain ? this channel has loads of gain more than the red channel on the Pittbull. It has an incredible bite to the sound but is still fat and smooth, it sings not like the rectifier I had which sounded "scratchy" rather than singing smooth. With the "mid open" you get a great hard rock sound from metallica to Gary Moore depending on the mid setting, with the focussed mid you get from Gary Moore to Eric Johnson without a fuzzface it's really that fat but never looses definition.

Lead Hi Gain : Bonkers more of the above but nuts amount of gain, you cad get a great Steve Luckather type lead sound with the open mid setting with the mid at about half. I tend to use this channel the least as Lo Gain lead has more than enough and I like a lot of gain.

Looks very well made, as good as the VHT. Enough said.

No reason to deal with them, but I hear it is good.

I got it for the versatility and the amazingly big sound, I hate amps with too much treble. I am a fan of Gary Moore, Steve Luckather, AC-DC and The Darkness. I play this music in a band every weekend, the rest of the band thought I was nuts to sell my Pittbull, but it was just not verstile or loud enough clean as it was only the 50. When they heard this they were blown away, as was I. They are still not too well know but believe the hype they sound wonderful and you can tell ahuge amount of thought has gone into the design of the controls. Oh I nearly foregot the ultra bight red LEDs behind the power valves, looks really cool on stage and yes we guitarists are very shallow in that respect aren't we ?
the thing I find the most amazing is how ENGL can sell this amp at this price. The VHT was a great amp and better at some sounds than the ENGL, but for a "do it all with one amp" solution this is the best on the market in my opinion. Definitly the best value and the footswitch is a work of art.

This is a follow-up. I hadn't actually heard the Genz-Benz cabs before I wrote the review. (I bought them based on reviews on this site.) THEY ABSOLUTELY SUCK!! No mids or highs. So, I'm using the Powerball with a Peavey 5150 cab until I get get a Mesa or Diezel cab. The amp still rules!

Mine is a 2003 model with 6L6 power tubes.It's basically a 4-ch amp: clean/crunch/high gain/extreme gain via channel selection and boosting options. Has a built-in noise gate (why don't other manufacturers offer this?), power tube monitor LED's(again, more companies should offer this),and a fx loop with adjustable mix level. The tone controls offer a wide range of available sounds. The red glow (from LED's) looks killer! MIDI switching would be nice.

I'm using a custom 7-string GMW with EMG 707 pickups, two Genz-Benz G-Flex 2x12 cabs, and a TC Electronic G-Major. For my extreme metal(picture a mix of Morbid Angel and Cryptopsy!) it simply kills! More gain than anyone could ever use, and a very tight/in your face distortion. It totally bitch-slaps every Mesa/Marshall/Peavey I have ever owned. No Mesa mush here! The Bogner Uberschall is its closest competitor, but since the Powerball is $800-900 less, it's the better buy.

I rarely use the clean, but it is very full and doesn't seem to distort easily.

It's farily noisey at high gain levels, but the noise gate nicely handles it.

There is no "perfect" amp, so it gets a 9. (For comparison, I'd give my 5150II a 6 or 7...)

So far, so good. Seems very rugged.

Warranty is 6 years. Haven't had to deal with them yet.

I've played for 20 years and owned more gear than I care to admit!
It has more gain and definition than Rectifiers/Peavey 5150's/Marshall 2000 amps and simply sounds more aggressive. For the same price of Mesa Triple Rec or Marshall TSL 2000, you'll have a superior amp.
I'd definitely buy another if it were stolen--after catching the thief and burning him alive.

Like mentioned before its a four channel head without any of those shitty "built in effects" that seems to be so popular(?) these days.
Line 6 spider can suck it :)

Im using it together with my Gibson Sg special and my Ibanez rgt42, sounds great! It canbe quite noisy, like all amps, but the brilliant germans have included a noise gate, so where the problem?

The clean channel is real smoth, good for all kinds of stuff.
The crunch channel is the rock n roll channel, nothing that i use often but nice to have though.

The dist-channel is fucking unbeliavable! very powerfull and raw, but with a great clarity that cant be compared with no other amp. i tried the peavey xxl and the mode four, which are to very hyped models right now and they are lightyears from this baby!
I costs quite a bit, but if you want high quality gear then start saving. The best amp ever? for now is surelly is!

Ive just had it for a couple of days, so its hard to say, but that steel'grill really gives a sturdy impression. A friend of mine has had a fireball for two years and he has never had any problems with it, so i will just wait and see .

The people at engl seems to very nice, took me half a day to get answers from them when i mailed them.
I never got a reply from marshall.

This is the one. Buy it if you want great sound.