Engl Ritchie Blackmore Signature

Although the Engl RB dosen't have as many features as alot of amps out there i still found it to be very versatile in its function and for what i need it for . Strangely enough i must be one of the few that actually use's this amp for playing Ritchie Blackmore's style and songs.
It has four channels in all which to me offer great versatility , it also has a contour button to bring in diffrent mid frequencys if need be ,plus it has a bright boost button for the clean channels to .
Power wise it can hold its own quite nicely , i use this into a palmer unit instead of a actual cabinet so knowing how the power of the amp acts in a open room with a cabinet i don't know but i have no problem cranking it through my gear .

Initially when i got this amp i knew i wanted it for the sheer purpose of playing Ritchie's music with it , any diffrent tones i could get from this amp would be a bonus hehe .
First of Blackmore wise i have to say this amp sounds really superb , the tones are there for his Blackmore's Night sound without a doubt and it seems the amp really loves his early Rainbow / Deep Purple sound aswell . To anyone reading this who wants Ritchie's sound , well this amp is a superb template to build from , but as all of us Blackmore fans know that Ritchie has alot of tricks in his amp/guitar setups so when i say this has a cracking sound i don't mean you will turn it on and you will sound like Blackmore , it takes abit of tweaking and i also use my own Preamp boost pedal and self built MTC unit to help towards the Blackmore sound , but its definetly a step in the right direction .
Tone wise this amp will definetly give you that early Deep Purple tone (think In Rock ) and probably very early Rainbow tone(Dio era).
For other stuff i use a Ibanez with humbuckers and it also sounds lovely through this amp to , thats the thing that is really special about the Engl RB is that it carrys its own sound and characteristics throughout , so if your looking for a amp thats gonna sound diffrent then i definetly think this is a good amp to take a look at .
Is it better then Mesa, Marshall , Peavey , Orange , Hughes & Ketner etc? who knows? simple fact is tones and sound are very subjective and we all listen for diffrent things , but i think if you like that Blackmore'ish sound then you will definetly like this amp , if you don't then perhaps you should check out one of the other amps above .
I must admit though i can find a use for every channel on this amp so far , the first clean channel is really beautiful , reminds me of Joe Satriani's Tear's In The Rain kinda sound , it especially comes to life with abit of verb or delay to , the second clean isn't that far in terms from the first but can be cranked slightly more for perhaps a slightly dirty punk sound . Then the crunch channel kinda borderlines the second clean channel which when pushed can sound alot like The Who's Won't Get Fooled ,although if you back it of it can keep a nice sparkly clean sound to .
Finally the lead channel is also a very versatile aswell , on low gain it can keep the same qualitys as the crunch channel cranked but when you crank the lead it can really hit a sweet sound which you can comfortably use for lead work no problem .
All these sounds except for the Blackmore tones are used without a distortion or overdrive pedal to , cos i think when you want info on a amp you want a idea of how it sounds naturally , im yet to try a distortion pedal on this amp but i will probably be trying a Vox Saturator with it in the coming months ,i imagine it will probably sing a sweet tune on the clean or crunch channel with a pedal .

Nothing has broken or gone wrong with it yet , fingers crossed that it won't either but this is quite a solid amp , so i imagine if you treat it with tender loving care , it will last for along time .

Same as above .

Ive been playing getting on 15yrs now and i think if the Engl RB was stolen or lost , i would breakdown and cry lol, i do love this amp and i would definetly replace it if anything did happen to it .
At the time of near purchasing this amp it was between the Engl RB and the Peavey JSX , i love both amps and was really torn between which to get but thanks to the pound diving against the euro , the JSX increased a fair amount in price so i went with Engl in the end , however i would still love to have a JSX down the line to join the Engl .

this amp is a example of a versatility...four chanels....chanel 1 clean,chanel 2 crunchi( softly ),chanel 3 lead ( like jcm800 ) chanel 4 high gain...

i use this amp for hard rock and metal

4 5881/6L6 tubes
4 ecc83/12ax7 tubes

i use this amp with ibanez, yamaha and peavey guitarsthe cabinet is a framus 2x12 v30 cabinet the sound whit diferent pickups (seymour duncan and dimarzio) is excelent, but in mi opinion is so...acute in the lead chanels,but you can adjust whit pot ''presence'' the clean chanel is clean at 6 them...brokes a very low saturation, in the chanel 3 the sound is similar to jcm800 but whit more punch and drive, in the chanel 4 the sound is hi-fi distortion...whit more drive that chanel 3, the amp have a contour and bright botoms., really is very very versatile....for rock blues hardd rock metal and trash...

really i havent a problem whit him.

it is a very good machine...for this price is perfect...

I bought this amp brand new in 2008. I play metal mostly, but wanted to have nice clean and crunch as an option and Blackmore delivered there as well. It has a shared EQ for its two channels with two modes each. Clean/Crunch has only one pot, whereas Gain channel has Lead and Volume pots.

There are additional Bright (active only on Clean and Crunch) and Contour switches. Too bad Z-5 footswitch doesn't come included with the amp, it has to be purchased separately and is somewhat pricy. It enables to choose any of the 4 work modes directly as well as switching Contour on/off and choosing between two Master Volume settings (handy for solos). Has an FX loop as well...

For its price I'd say this amp is a one damn fine offering, lots of quality sound and versatility for the dough. At its 100W it can be earsplittingly loud, as expected... I give it an 8 for the lack of separate EQ only, otherwise it's great.

I own a '98 Kramer Barreta equipped with SD JB and '59 and a Gibson Flying V which has very hot 500T and 496R ceramics. With both axes it sounds outstanding, warm and articulate, with nice dynamics and punch. It suits my bands like a glove and I figure it would do nicely many other styles...

For example if you turn up the Clean high pot it begins to add a subtle bluesy drive to it, but if you then turn the Master pot way up it begins roaring, acting very much like old Marshalls, which got more and more distortion when turned up... But at the common levels it stays in the subtle drive range. It's not a Fender clean type which stays clean at all levels, but I'm very satisfied with the way it acts...

It has lots of gain on tap, especially at Hi-Gain channel, even too much I'd say... But nobody keeps you from turning the Lead pot down :)
The distorted sound is very warm and round, it's not as aggressive as say Peavey 5150/6505, but it can really get growly and brutal.

Since I own it less than a year I couldn't comment on this. But the word is that Engls are pretty reliable and my Blackmore does look built like a tank.

I've had some inquiries with Engl service department regarding the tubes in my amp and whatnot and they always responded in a timely and polite manner, so thumbs up there! Standard warranty is 12 months, but luckily I didn't have the need to claim it...

I've been playing for almost 20 years. I've owned Marshall JCM2000 DSL before this head and Blackmore puts it to shame in every aspect possible. I'd most probably get myself another Blackmore if this one was stolen, cause it suits my needs and is pretty affordable.
I only wish there was an option for a gain boost along with Master Volume switching and that the Z-5 footswitch came with it...

I was comparing it to Peavey JSX which I also considered buying and Engl had a nicer sound in general, so since I don't care for a separate EQ (I mainly use a distorted sound) I went with Engl and haven't regretted it one tiny bit.

Made in Germany. Has one eq and seperate gain controls for the light and heavy gain sections. Two master volumes, effects loop, Lead Presence. More than one eq would be nice but it doesn't matter with this amp since setting up the eq correctly is excellent for all four channels. I'm not sure if adding another eq would matter since this thing is like my Marshall, turn it on and it sounds good.

I mainly use a gibson sg special(stock), Esp\Ltd Viper 301 with SD-Full Shred in the bridge straight and using Mesa Boogie Standard cab w\v30s. I can't tell you how much I brooded over attaining this amp after first playing it November 2007 at GC in Memphis. Keep in mind I played this right after playing a Soldano Slo-100, IMO This is the best amp currently being made. Distortion-wise the Soldano is supreme, but hit a chord with this amp and it is up there. This is an amp for players who want clarity and who play very clean. Don't believe what they say about this amp being for rock. I play Melodic Death/Black Metal or whatever you call it and this thing is perfect for aggressive riffs, articulation, chugging leads etc. This is not a real bassy amp but it is the loudest ******** thing ever! I own an original Jcm 800 also and it is great and thick sounding but both its volume and clarity pale in comparison to this thing. Let me get to the point. I need a good clean as well as heavy rhythym as well as beautiful and cutting leads. 1. this amps clean channel IS comparible to fenders. 2. Crunch channel is soaring. 3. lo-gain lead is amazing for solos and clear, crisp single note runs. 4. this channel has a little bit sucked mids for tight rhythyms but still more than enough mids to cut through.

I love this thing too much to let anything happen to it. We have a gig next month so we'll see. I've heard about the crappy construction but I take care of my equipment so screw it.

N/a

I've been playing about 9 years, everything from rock to death metal. If someone stole this particular amp I'd be upset but inevitably, I'd buy another without hesitation. I've owned a Peavey JSX, Peavey 5150, Jcm-800. I love this amp to pieces, the Jcm-800 has the big bold, old-school Marshall sound and the Engl lives up to its hype by being the greatest modern amp possible. I've always wanted a good amp with versatility and different eqs but I don't think that exists. This amp is not for the feint of heart or anyone who needs a little pull from their distortion (nothing wrong with that). This is coupled with my Marshall is the tone I've and versatility I've been looking for far too long. Now it's time to practice and write.

All the features have already been discussed so I won't bore you. However, I will say that the Blackmore certainly reflects the ideology "less is more".

I'm using this amp with a Maton J.45 Jazzbox with P90s and an Ibanez RG with Dimarzio Breeds. I bought the amp with the Engl 4x12 Standard Cab. I play a broad range of styles from ambient, electronica, jazz & blues to black and technical metal. I am able to cover all of these styles with the Blackmore with only minor adjustments to the EQ and gain.

As mentioned in previous reviews, the clean channel really is something to behold. I've never heard a Fender Blackface, I've never played a Bassman and I don't really care about twins - the Engl constantly suprises me with how beautifully the clean channel responds to my playing. When playing clean through the High-gain channel, some truly amazing blues tones can be reached. By cranking the Input gain, a very thick and smooth lead tone oozes out of the cab & is particularly suited to the neck pickup of my jazzbox.

I have found the lead channels on this amp require a bit more tweaking but reward very well with equally amazing tones. The Lo-gain Lead sound is great for rhythm and can be tweaked to produce some sickly sweet rock tones. I use this channel exclusively for jamming along to ACDC & Hendrix. This channel delivers a very "neutral" rock sound that blends into the mix very well in a band situation but can be accentuated using the "contour" switch for leads.

Then, there is the high-gain channel - a very hard sound to define. This channel has all the oozing warmth of the other channels, smothered in another layer of.....Engl. Here's a bunch of adjectives that relate to the lead sound: huge, saturated, raw, thick, articulate, singing, sustain, smooth, harmonic, clear, blunt, brutal, German, Necrophagist, filth, industrial, etc.

This channel was definately the selling point for me - very suitable for black/death/tech metal, but equally at home in rock territory. The fireball/powerball offered equally pleasing (though slightly different) clean tones, but their lead tones were too "metal" and one-dimensional for me. The Blackmore simply offered a unique lead texture that is not only applicable to metal.

Finally, despite previous reviews stating otherwise, this amp handles pedals very well. I use a plethora of sound-manipulators both in front of the amp and in the effects loop & they all sound great. Stereo effects are particularly astounding, so are lower octave pedals - the bass response of the standard cab is amazing to the point of ridiculousness.

In all seriousness, I anticipate this amplifier to outlast me. I treat the thing with respect & would not think twice about gigging without a backup. With the head and cab weighing in at over 80kg, it was obviously built with one thing in mind: German.

I have been playing for 15 years, the majority of my life. This is my first substantial musical investment and I can't see myself requiring anything more in the near future. I love the tone of this amp, I love the simplicity, I love the look and I love the name. I love that the amp sounds fairly convincing at low volumes - it is definately possible to use the Blackmore as a practice amp.

If I was able to change anything, I would ask for a little more mid-range control in the lead channels. The frequencies that the mid EQ alters are quite odd and don't drastically change the sound when using my RG. The EQ change is noticeable on a brighter-sounding guitar, but I don't have one of those. I would also ask for the Z5 footswitch to be included with the head. Having forked out $4000 for the head & cab I was only able to afford the Z4 which doesn't make full use of the amps features.

I would recommend the Blackmore to anyone within earshot.

All tube amp.
Warning: extremely loud!
-4 channels: Clean, Crunch, Soft-Lead, Heavy-Lead.
-One EQ + a contour switch for all the channels + a bright switch for the clean one and a lead presence control.
-2 master volumes.
-Parallel to series FX loop.
I use to play in a Alternative-Rock band and this amp is just perfect for that style of music.
That amp is one of the most "handy" I',ve ever played. You don't have to deal with much controls, and once you find your tone for one channel the other ones are right ok. Dealing with the presence control gives you the ability to change from sweet blues tones to heavy metal lead tones.

I use to use a Gibson Les Paul Studio and a Gibson Les Paul Studio Special Edition, both with stock pickups.My spare guitar is an Ibanez JS400(discontinued)wich often I use for the clean tones.
I got also the ENGL 4x12 pro cabinet with V30 speakers, probably the best when coupled with this amp.
When on the heavy-lead channel you got noise but it's not that problem.
The stock tubes sounded harsh and they lacked in sound stage, I had to change them to suite my playing style.
I use to use the Mullard 12AX7 pre tubes, an Harma 12AX7 STR Cryo inverter valve and the Harma 6L6GC STR Cryo Power tubes.The latter are very expensive but it's worth it, the amp gained in warmth and detail.
With this amp your sound is never muddy or overcompressed, even with the gain control all the way up!!!
If you wanna listen to the Blackmore in action please visit www.plainonline.com, this is the band I play in. All the guitar parts were recorded with this beautiful amp.
I give 9 because of the stock tubes.

This amp is built to last!
I got my own 1 year ago and had no problems.The other guitarist of the band I play in got his own 5 years ago and had no problems.

One year warranty.
Never had the need to contact Engl.

The best amp I ever played.
It has some of the character of those old Plexi amps but with greater gain and definition, impressive details and harmonic content.
Solid rock sound and ease of use.
The best amp you can get for the money!

Great amp! I think it's a good amp to make all different kinds of rock. From soft-rock to metal. It's a very no-nonsense amp, which means there no effects in this amp like delay or reverb. You have 4 different channels, clean/low - clean/high - lead/low - lead/high
I only use channel 4 (leadhigh), because it's the best for metal.

The clean is very good! you have this bright button on the amp which makes it sound very 'fenderclean'.

Well you have to know that this is a midgain amplifier.
Distortion is good, but it's a very tight almost bluntly sound.
first i used a tubescreamer to get more gain, but now i think the sound is just effected by your guitar (pickups) and the way you play. (offcourse your ampsettings are also very important)
People who say that the distortion of the blackmore sucks, can't play guitar. Because you hear every mistake you make, you can't hide behind your gain.

Well you can trust this amp.

I haven't changed the tubes yet, while i have it.. hm 3 years.

Hm no idea, and that's a good thing

I play on it with a jackson(dinky series)guitar which is blessed with a EMG81. Play most of the time metal on it (because of my band). You can check the songs on www.myspace.com/docilemetal all guitars recorded with my Blackmore.

Conclusion, the Blackmore is a good amp, looks cool, sounds great,
you just gotta get to know the amplifier to use it and get the best sound of it. if you want some settings i can mail you them.

I buyt it second hand in combination with a ENGL standard cabinet, paid hm i think 1200 euro's for it.

Mine is an '06 model with the LED's inside. 100W 4 channels total; clean, crunch, soft/low gain lead and heavy high gain lead. Bright switch for clean channel and contour switch for lead channels function as mid/treble boosts. A shared EQ for all 4 channels which is a bummer 'cause this amp can produce so many different tones. This amp would be so much more incredible if it had a seperate EQ section for the lower gain channels much like the Powerball, Invader and Savage.

You'll often hear either from other owners of this amp, people who have played it or from some of these previous reviews that this amp is only aggressive enough for '80's thrash metal or something alnog those lines. Well I'm writting this review solely to let inquiring minds know that this amp has a crushing, crisp, clear and articulate tone. Uniquely voiced yet beautiful. It wont give you "balls to the wall" gain but it certainly is no chump either. It is capable modern heavy metal gain textures with ease and everything else below it. You'll get consistently tight, focused bottom end with nice and thick sounding chugging rhythm patterns. The mids and highs add great character to your tone, especially in lead channels. The crunch and low lead channels are amazing! You can get anything from great break up like SRV, mild or modded Plexi-like crunch, all the way up to a hot rodded Marshall tone. The clean channel gets warm, round, sparkly, smooth and fluid much like a Fender Bassman or twin. I've based the review using a Schecter Tempest Custom with an EMG 81 at the bridge and a Seymour Duncan JB at the neck. I also used an Epiphone G-400 SG with a set of Dimarzio Super Distortions and a Mexi made Fender Strat with Texas Specials. The cabs I used were a Mesa Recto 4x12 loaded with V30's and a Basson 4x12 loaded with Eminence Red, White & Blues.

The amp is very solid feeling. Top quality all around except the tolex does feel a little cheap like it could easily tear or something for some strange reason. Especially 'cause the rest of the amp is built with sturdy and top notch parts. Although it's never a smart idea to NOT bring a backup amp to a gig, I would have total confidence in blasting this baby no problem without any worries of a breakdown.

It's been an absolute thrill to be an owner of this amp. I was pretty skeptical at first of it's high gain capabilities until I heard it played in a guitar store and listened to some sound clips of it on the net. I've played tons of amps in my time and I can say that this amp is one of my top 3 favorites of all time. This amp kills for any type of style of music you're going after. It can do it all. Plus it is one of the best looking amps on the market. Other than an Engl SE (EL34 or 6L6), this amp is the best sounding of the Engl line IMO.

listed.

One of the best sounds I've ever heard on the clean channel as well as on all of the other channels. Great distorion for both rhythem and leads.

Built like a tank.

never dealt with them.

Best amp I have ever owned! I have had A Marshall JCM 800 and a Mesa Dual rectifier this blows them both out of the water the only amps I have heard with better tones are other ENGLs.

about 1998 model, i had to have this amp, im the first person in u s a to have it, it arrived thru a few long distance calls to germany an hoarst langer, the designer, we will have to wire one up for you, so they did an it came, i got it for 1100bucks, amp acted up first day i got it, i really think it was dropped or somethin, is too loud by a mile an trebly, looks good though, i play bluesrock, an rainbow deep purple, skynyrd, etc, some gospel too, weighs a ton, i have the matching engl v30 cab too with 4 vintage 30,s, great cab.dont use the master b, hi gain, too loud an trebly, i use this amp in our music room, sounds killer at low volume especially, also with clean is kinda fenderish nice, especially turned up, beautiful clean, it kills with low an hi gain lead buttons both pushed in, killer extra marshally distortion, but a different character all its own.

clean as stated is great, with bright switch tht works, a little too trebly, not as sparkly , almost as blackface twin.best sound is play wireless, get 50 feet away, put clean channel on 3 o clock, and i think master a low gain on about 10 o clock, then you sorta play clean , an turn volume on guitar up for beautiful thick distortion.i use various strats, blackmore strat, which has the best ever neck, jimmy vaughn strat, really a quackin, spanky tone, really nice with it, also strat with lace sensers, beautiful, but of course blackface twin is better, sparkly, even ore huge bass, different but related too,.sometimes i push in both lo an hi clean lead gains right next to each other, an play with screamin feedback, an ztop crunchin distortion, that is on edge of painful, cause feed back as you know can be anxiety relief.als though, mine has had an issue for years no one can seem to fix, volume in all channels goes up an down a bit enough to really startle you , sometimes, i really need to get it fixed, amp is really a bit harsh an trebly at times an muddy, but can be beautiful too,i leave presence off, perioc, too harsh an ear piercing, put controls on 12 oclock, presence off, treble on about 10 o clock, but is better sounding than some amps i listened to lately, on distortion, of course you will not beat the really good fenders on clean an sparkle, but sometime fenders are too warm, they make my pick bend, like ritchie, i need an attack sound, like this engl, an some better marshalls or whatever.

very reliable, since i got new tubes years ago, an fixed a few bugs, just tube related, but still volume goes up an down, way better clean than any marshall i ever heard, even plder high priced,, prized ones,.like i said this amp arrived in early 1998, an was messed up a bit, the day i got it, had one year warranty, an all i could do was email mr. langer in germany and complain, they shoulda sent me another one,, no foot switch either, they are pricey.certain people with other amps are jealous of this amp, i gigged it in a few places in atlanta, very heavy, too loud an trebly, hard to get tone dialed in, gets thin, there is a trick to dialin i tone, its called wireless, an get 30 feet away, an have help from bass, drums at their volume etc, no amp should ever be 100 watts, this amp was created from ritchie blackmore an hoarst langer from savage 120, and his little engl soverighn combo ideas, it really kills with humbuckers, or tone zone, etc.has never shocked me , yet, once clean lead distortion went out, i fixed it loose tube or whatever it came back,.

no repair on mine except by me, none was avaulable, but now there is, they have these in the states, here now in 2007, warraty was a year, right im gonna ship it back to germany, back then, no way, over two grand in amp an cab, with shipping etc. listen to ritchie blackmores sound from duuseldorf video 1995, or palo california 195 or 97, his tone an the engl character is incredible, an beautiful, but he uses the roland strat with the savage 120 too, about the best tone i ever heard, and different , just what a different crunch, and character, especially on black masquerade, how does he do that lead, no one i know even the best, can even approach him , or teach me these things, incredible tone, .

i been playin 16 years, lost this one id be sick, wouldnt get another one, too pricey, it would be fender, or marshall, but they pricey too.i played it more than my great big crunchin 2550 marshall, which was a killer, zz top etc sound.beautiful look on engl, is better i think with humbuckers, is kinda harsh an trebly, will kill your ears even on clean, one mean loud amp.scary,,.low volume or i say red light on ,, distortion channell, an both volumes at 9 o clock, your ears will say easy there, an maybe you gettin some feedback too, clean is great, beautiful shimmering clean, an really a spanky, quacky sound, make vintage fender owners take note, especially turned up, louder it goes it sounds better, in all modes, up to the point until your dizzy an my equilibrium is cryin turn it down, im dizzy, yes i really have this problem.my 2550 wa a great amp, but could get kinda fuzzy, if you want, eggl doesnt go fuzzy, just nice an good, thick tube distortion, just watch that treble, n harchness,.