Engl Savage 120

See Engl site for Features
Would be nice to have a noise gate since this amp is a bit noisy

Guitars used:
ESP Eclipse with EMG 81,85
ESP Kirk Hammett
ESP Alexi Laiho
ESP Horizon FR with SD JB, 59
Gibeson LP Custom with EMG 81s
PRS CU 24 with stock pickups
Ibanez RG2550E
Ibanez RG2570E
Ibanez S5470

I play mostly metal but sometimes classic rock and blues too.
This amp KILLS live, i have played shows several times with this amp and it has not let me down. I have people asking me my settings and what amp i use. Some people think this amp does not sound as good as the Framus Cobra, but I've had 2 other guitarists who wanted to trade me their Cobras for my Savage, my answer was no. It sounds ok low volume, but it will kill babies when turned up. I don't like the other channels but i like channel 1 (clean) and channel 4 (Lead) Channel 4 sounds good with EMGs, SDs, PRS pickups, and Dimarzio Tone Zones, and X2Ns.

I've used this for 2 years and it has not let me down once

never had to deal with them

Overall this amp is a very nice amp but Id like it if it had a noise gate. But i have a decimator so thats not that much of a problem

This is a newer Model with led backlighting. It could use a built-in noise gate, but I just use my rocktron expression's noise gate in the loop AND now it's programmable so I can have no noise gate on some settings if I like. The effects loop is awesome. Channel switching is pretty good, I use the Amp Gizmo to switch things via MIDI. With the Amp Gizmo my rig is super flexable and powerful. I consider this amp to be... 2 1/2 channels. Clean is awesome, Crunch is pretty good just needs s touch more gain, and the high gain lead is unbeatable.

First off I mainly play death and black metal. So heavy, clear, balanced, and beautiful metal tone is really all I care about. But this amp nails that and much more. It does it all.

I mainly use an ESP HB-300 Baritone tuned to B with EMG 81 in the bridge and EMG 85 in the neck, I also only use flatwound guitar strings D'addario Chromes. Not Roundwounds, Flatwounds. Yeah I know, but it works for me flawlessly with this particular amp, go figure. I am done buying amps and speakers and pedals and eq's this is the one! The Holy Grail! The EQ is just awesome you got all kinds of things to adjust if it's set just right you can smash an SM57 into your Vintage 30's and it still stays tight. I'm sold. I never had any other amp that records like this one. I leave the Depth Boost OFF for close miking, and the bass at like 10 or 11 o'clock. To get a great sound in the room I turn the bass up a bit more sometimes to max - close-miking boosts bass with proximity effect. Again, for my playing style this amp requires I use flatwound strings. *shrugs*

Well... I've only brought it to a drummers house and back twice now. Travelling with it makes me feel guilty. It's a really beautiful amp. But at the same time it's like bringing a hot girl out with you and showing her off to your friends.

I don't think I've had this amp long enough or abused it sufficiently to really give a valid rating. So far it works perfectly every time I turn it on. Oh yeah, one of the Depth Boost Knobs buttons feels a little "funny" it works perfectly fine but when you press it in it doesn't feel right. I'm just giving a thorough review, it's pretty irrelevant really.

Never spoke with them, but I think I'd like to ask Horst about what mics and miking techniques he recommends, just for fun. And maybe ask him for some sample settings to play a round with as well.

I've been playing 18 years now, since I was 15.

If this amp were stolen I'd almost certainly get it again. I might check out some other amps but chances are I'd end up with the savage 120 again. It's absolutely amazing.

I love the tone, I love the effects loop quality, I love it's looks.

I don't really hate anything, but I wish the crunch sound could get a little more gain. Also 3 or 4 sets of EQ knobs, one for each channel might be cool. But I'm still pretty satisfied.

Check this amp out if you have the chance. I reccomend an EMG 81 in the bridge and Flatwound strings! Especially if you play really hard tremelo-picked palm mutes like I do. It takes off some of that grinding noise.

As stated many times, this amp has a lot of features, however no noise gate as in the Powerball and other higher end Engls. I really view it as a two channel amp regardless of what others will say.

Its loud, distortion is pretty much where it should be for Metal, Amp sounds good at the 12 oclock position on all settings, but that has been said here many times.
The amp is a little noisy. But then again, usually all amp with high gain are, especially without a gate.
I dont play the clean channel, so I have no idea what it sounds like over there?

Ok here goes.
Garbage. I blew my power tubes after 10 hours, this did not cause the fuses to blow but instead burnt out the screens or diods and also the board filling my house with a ton of smoke.
I took the amp (which is under warranty) to my tech., that was when I realized these are built like crap. The pots are all cheap, the tube design is pathetic at best, and basically it looks like a new mesa boogie inside. The only nice part of this amp is the case, well built and bullet proof to protect all of the poor quality inside of this piece of crap.
Now I would have not freaked out if it was the tubes, as tubes blow, but this is the making of a non roadworthy amp, just like a new mesa. I am sad to say this as this could be a good product if they didnt take short cuts.

Whatever, I paid for it myself. I am not going to shit this POS around the world to get it fixed.

Been playing awhile. I own 16 custom shop BC and Bernie Rico's, all killer!!
If it was stolen, whatever couldnt care less.
I hate this POS, it will be replaced by a Diezel. And ya I know its more expensive and I cant compare based on the price range but a good product is a good product and this is not.
I wish it wasnt built by a bunch of accountants. Put good pots in it, fix the power tube configuration, and be proud to be German when they use to build good amps.
These guys are so screwed now. Wow, I would never do it again. Point to point baby!!

My Engl Savage 120 is a 2006 model with leds instead of the bulbs as back lights behind the tubes. I have owned an older savage 120 with the bulbs and found the new ones to be a bit less noisy.

Preamp:
4 channels, Clean, Crunch 1, Crunch 2, Lead, 2 EQs, Sensitivity switch, Bright switch, 2 FX loops (both parallel to serial adjustable), Lead Boost, Contour switch, Rough/Smooth switch plus Hi Balance control, 5 x ECC 83
preamp tubes.


Master Section:
Presence A/B, Master A/B, Depth Boost,
120 watts (1 x ECC 83, 2 x 6550 power amp tubes)
ECS tube protection


Outputs:
Balanced Line out, frequency-compensated, adjustable, overload control, speaker outs (2 x 4, 2 x 8, 1 x 16 ohms), 2 FX loops, Z-3/Z-4 footswitch jacks, MIDI interface port, Z-10 footswitch port


Dimensions & Weight:
71 x 27 x 27 cm, 20 kg

As far as features I wish it had, I would want it to have a built in noise reduction like the powerball, SE and the Invader have.

The Savage 120 is extremely versitile. The clean stays clean even at extremely high volumes. The crunch starts out as a slightly broken up sounding clean to classic rock tones. Soft lead picks up from the classic rock tones and goes into early 80s metal tones with a little low end whomp. The heavy lead is where its at. This channel starts off as 80s thrash, then can go into black/death metal territory with ease. The key to this amp is having the right pickups and the right cab. I use an engl pro V30 cab. I have medium output pickups in my jackson kv2 (duncan 59 in the neck and patb3 blues saraceno in the bridge) which allows my tone to stay articulate even with the gain dimed. With my baritone (duncan jb bridge and 59 in the neck), I use far less gain, but can still get an articulate and thick sound. I highly reccomend a noise reduction unit like an ISP Decimator with this amp or any other high gain amp. It will clean up that white noise if used correctly in the loop or pickup hum if used in front of the amp. Overall, I don't think the newer Savages are nearly as noisy as the older ones.

This amp has been around for many years and has proved itself time and time again. It has never broken down. It has a tube security feature that a lot of engl amps have that shut down a bad tube before it blows while the other good tube continues to power the amp.

I bought this amp from Derek at rock solid amps. This guy goes out of his way to help his customers. I had a small issue with the amp making a popping sound when I switched between presences. I got an email the next day from Horst at Engl Amps in Germany and the problem was fixed upon reading his email and taking corrective actions. I have talked to Horst on many occasions. He is not impossible to reach like most people say he is and is quite friendly.

I've been playing guitar for 15 years and have owned amps by: Engl (SE, powerball, older savage 120) mesa, marshall, peavey, vht, fender, and framus. I have played bogners, hughes & kettner, orange, rivera, splawn(very impressed with these), randall and may others. The Savage 120 is the tightest sounding Engl amp ever made and will cut through the mix. Its the tone I've always wanted. If they are good enough for Primal Fear, Dream Evil and Dimmu Borgir, they're good enough for me. You should test this amp out in person before judging it. Some of the sound clips may sound thin, but in person its a different experience especially if you can crank it.

This review is for a new ENGL Savage 120.

I've been reading some crazy reviews for this amp. I think that there are some people out there who 1) have only spent a few minutes with this amp and/or 2) simply have no idea or are very innexperienced.

I'm 24 years old and have been playing guitar for 17 years now, various styles over the time (flaminco - metal) but have been heavily into heavy metal the last 8 or so years, now playing in a metal band.

I previously owned a Mesa Dual Rectifier which was also a great amp although a major source of frustration for me. It was not 'tight', responsive, or articulate enough (some people like this about the recto) and did not respond well to fast/aggressive metal rhythm/lead styles without the use of a boost pedal (among other nagging issues...).

I sold the Rectifier after 6 MONTHS of research and hours testing out a HUGE variety of premium 'metal' amps (including the Framus Cobra which ran second, aswell as the Peavey 6505+, ENGL Powerball V2, H&K Triamp MII,VHT Pitbull + Ultralead, Mesa/Boogie MIV, and others.

My search led me to ENGL and finally to the Savage 120. I was also lucky enough to take a Savage home from the music store (derringers music, Adelaide) for 4 days to fully run it through its paces prior to purchasing. I made a very informed decision in purchasing this amp.

I have owned the ENGL Savage 120 for only 2 months, it continues to impress me everyday and I am always finding new GREAT sounds. It is VERY versatile. Awesome METAL AMP, simply devestating, but also very good at any number of styles depending on how you make use of the amps features and what you plug into it.

SO.... Yes. The Savage has a load of great features. You should all know them all by now, if not then search through the other reviews. I love the 2 effects loops. MUCH MUCH better than the MESA effects loop or any other I have tried so far.

It could be improved if it came with a built in noise gate (as in the Powerball) but this is not a big deal as I purchased an ISP Decimator which solves the problem of any noise/feedback without affecting the tone. It would also be better if it had 4 independant EQ's. But no big deal. If you want more features spend more $$$$ and get the ENGL SE.

I have a variety of guitars but mainly use Gibson Les Pauls with EMG 81's. The 81 was a necessity with the Recto but not with the Savage 120. Still, I like the sound of it with the EMG 81.I'm playing it through a Marshall MF400 oversized cab (with Celestion 100 watt speakers).

It RULES FOR HEAVY, TIGHT ARTICULATED AGGRESSIVE METAL!!!! SAVAGE!

It can be noisy at high gain settings but so will any amp. EG. The Framus Cobra is renouned for being extremely quiet yet I would still need to use the ISP decimator (noise reduction) with it. No big deal. Its no noisier than any other amp capable of extreme high gain. Still quiter than a Peavy 5150 though imo.

Ch.1 = Great cleans. Even better with some reverb/chorus etc. running through the effects loop (independent loops!). I was amazed at the clean, and it STILL amazes me. Yes, I'm sure there are VINTAGE FENDER amps and the like out there with better cleans, but who really gives a shit? can vintage fender amps do death metal?


(I'm still getting to know ch. 2 and 3 but so far...)

Ch. 2 = (crunch) sounds incredible with single coil pickups (not that it doesn't also sound incredible with humbuckers..). I love it for Hendrix type playing. Very nice.

Ch. 3 = responds VERY well to boost pedals (not that they are needed), giving excellent creamy lead tones with the gain backed off bit (smooth character). Gives a nice 'in between' distortion sound (between ch.2 and 4). Can also sound quite aggressive, great for AC/DC type 'grit' rock distortion depending how you set it up (rough/smooth/contour/gain/ EQ etc.) there are so many possabilities.

CH 4. = Well, simply put. THIS IS WHERE IT's AT!!!!!!! wicked distortion. Loads and loads of crushing, brutal, evil, fat, kick you in the chest, tight SAVAGE distortion. But yet again, very versatile depending on how you set it up. (rough/smooth in conjunction with the prescence and treble controlls make makes a massive difference in your sound). Capable of nailing ANY ROCK/METAL TONE you should ever desire imo yet with the ability of providing you with your own 'signature' sound if you desire. GREAT TONE!!!!

What I love about this amp the most is that is is a VERY TIGHT and defined amp with arguably the BEST METAL distortion tone around. It responds extremely well to your playing, you can play incredibly fast and it will track right along with you with brilliant tone, it's truly a pleasure to play. It does not work againt you as other saggy, undefined amps can while playing hard and fast.

It's also very cool in that it sounds awesome at ANY volume (due to the fact that alot of it's tone comes from the pre-amp section). It can be barely audible yet still sound fully alive, tight and brutal as all hell. I have never played any other TUBE amp that can do this so well (besides other ENGL's).

I was also pleasently suprised while testing it out with my band for the first time, and continue to grin like a mother f***er every time I fire it up with the band (oh, by the way, they absolutley love it too). It is VERY loud and sounds just as clear and articulated when cranked, if not more so. IT also cuts through the mix VERY WELL meaning that you don't really have to crank it up too much which is great because you still retain heaps of headroom and feel confident, knowing that if you have to, you can crank the amp further and blow the roof!

I love this amp.

NO problems so far.

It seem to be well constructed (heavy as hell!!!). I have heard that the early models sold here in Australia had faulty or poorly selected Power transformers but the newer ones (like mine) have different transformers that DO NOT malfunction as the old ones did.

I havn't had the amp for that long so I won't give a score here but it seems very reliable.

They dont reply to e-mail.

Well I havn't really needed to contact ENGL for any serious reason but I did try to e-mail them several times when trying to decide on which amplifier to buy (I was also interested to see if they were updating the ENGL Savage 120 as they recently did very successfully with the ENGL Powerball and include a built in noise gate etc.) and left messages on their message board. They NEVER got back to me despite SEVERAL attempts at contacting them.

This is VERY poor customer service imo. (if you can't reply to e-mail, then don't offer the service on your web site!!!).

Any Warrantee issues will be handled by the shop where I purchased the amp (Derringers music) and they are great so I'm not worried.

Well it is simply an amazing amp. ESPECIALLY if metal is your thing. BUT it is not JUST a metal amp. The ENGL Savage 120 can be verry effective for a wide variety of styles.

I will repeat....

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I'm 24 years old and have been playing guitar for 17 years now, various styles over the time (flaminco - metal) but have been heavily into heavy metal the last 8 or so years, now playing in a metal band.

I previously owned a Mesa Dual Rectifier which was also a great amp although a major source of frustration for me. It was not 'tight', responsive, or articulate enough (some people like this about the recto) and did not respond well to fast/aggressive metal rhythm/lead styles without the use of a boost pedal (among other nagging issues...).

I sold the Rectifier after 6 MONTHS of research and hours testing out a HUGE variety of premium 'metal' amps (including the Framus Cobra which ran second, aswell as the Peavey 6505+, ENGL Powerball V2, H&K Triamp MII,VHT Pitbull + Ultralead, Mesa/Boogie MIV, and others.

My search led me to ENGL and finally to the Savage 120. I was also lucky enough to take a Savage home from the music store (derringers music, Adelaide) for 4 days to fully run it through its paces prior to purchasing. I made a very informed decision in purchasing this amp.

I have owned the ENGL Savage 120 for only 2 months, it continues to impress me everyday and I am always finding new GREAT sounds.

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It kicks ass.

If your considering buying this amp (or any other) then you simply need to try it out with your own guitar (and cab?), in person and decide with your own ears. It's that simple. This is THE amp for me though. Finally, my search for that tone in my head is over!!!! now I've got that tone, and many more to choose from. Actually, the only 'problem' with this amp is that it has sooo many tones available. It can be very hard to decide between them. Awesome amp.

If for some reason you are unable to try one out and especially if your into metal or even rock then just do it!! Pull the trigger and buy it!!!! You will not be dissapionted!!!!!!!!!

(think anything IN THE STYLE OF anything from AC/DC, Guns N ROses, Iron maiden, Testament, Metallica (old stuff \m/)..... to Children of Bodom, Chimaira, KSE, Shadows Fall, Lamb of God, Decapitated, Deicide.... etc. etc.)

You WILL NOT be dissapointed.

The only shitty thing is that it doesn't come with the foot switch (neither does the Framus Cobra, another German made amp... German Tight arses! But hey, they make the best amps and build them like their tanks (which were also the best lol ;).

Although the ENGL switches are the best ive ever seen (wicked design + strong as f**k!), they're well worth it. There are a few to choose from also (I got mine ~35% off as with the amp, I talked an amazing deal). I have the Z10 (or is it the Z12? anyway...) It kicks ass, heaps of option yet again.


I'll say it one more time: This amp rules!!!

This is the most evil amp I have ever used. It is loaded with 6 12AX7 valves and 2 massive 6550 valves in the power amp. Remember 6550 valves are primarily used in bass amps. So you've got one hell of a hot roded amp.

This is a twin channel amp with at least 2 modes in each channel but you can get up to 6 modes in all.

There are two rows of dials on the front panel, the top let you work the clean and crunch 1 modes and the bottom let you work the Crunch 2 and Lead modes. In channel one, the clean gain works independently but if you switch to Crunch 1, you can then work both gain dials consecutively, same applies with Crunch 2 and Lead.

To the right you have channel/master volumes for each mode and 2 separate presence controls for each mode. There are several push in buttons that only serve to enhance your tone.

Around the back you have 2 separate effects loops one that operates both or 1 channel and the other effects loop operates the other channel. That way you can apply universally effects to all channels or have specific effects for individual channels...Germans, you got to love them.

The sounds can range from crystal clean to Earth shattering distortion. The beauty about this amp is that not at bedroom volumes but at conversational volumes, it still sounds pure evil. Marshall?s and Boogies at very low volumes sound weak then once you turn the volume up slightly, you're punched in the face with masses of volume.

The only alternative is an attenuator.

Clean - from crystal tones to SRV territory

Crunch 1 - Can give you a lighter Van Halen sound

Crunch 2 - Gives you a massive rhythm tone and enough for crushing leads

Lead - Well, hold me down and smother me with hot caramel, think of the most evil, darkest Scandinavian Black, Satanic, decapitated sheep's head sound with inverted crucifix's and they're just orchestral in comparison....Get the idea.

I use an Ibanez RGT220HSOL and it's a winged mahogany, through neck and sounds very, very warm. Don't forget, you've got 6550 valves, these are darker in tone.

I run the amp through the standard ENGL 412 V60 Celestion loaded cab and I have to say it sounds great, smaller than a Marshall cab but much heavier. Pinched harmonics, legato (ever so flowing) and sweeping work is just a breeze. There is a bit of hiss, best to get a good noise get, remember, this head is vile in tone and it's best run through a full stack....

OK Folks, in case there's any confusion, it's German made and quality controlled. ENGL have a failure rate of 2 units for every 1,000 produced. Still not convinced???

Let's just say, if you lifted this amp 1,000 metres into the sky and dropped it, not only would it pass the speed of light, it would split the Earth into 2 spheres upon impact. On one sphere you would have manufactured pop idiots and on the other there would be us glorious metal heads....

I live the 4 horizontal bars that allow you to look into the cavity to clearly see the valves working. It is truly the most beautifully built and looking amp I have ever cast my eyes on.

By the way, I bought this one from Percy Prior's in Salisbury, UK and it had been in the store for 9 months and it still looked brand new....

If people have had issues contacting and having their emails returned from ENGL direct try info@engldistribution.com Chris is the most professional gentleman in the amp business and has always answered my emails by the next day.

In the UK, Synergy are the sole distributors and Peter is also a nice bloke to deal with. When I bought the amp it came as a package with the Standard ENGL 412 cab and the Z10 footswitch. Cause I was concerned about driving back to Salisbury for warranty issues, Peter was obliging in sending a courier to collect the amp form my residence...That's nice, after sales service.

I was very fortunate because I kept close links with Peter at Synergy and he advised that Percy Prior's in Salisbury had one on the floor. When I arrived, I met Ben, the sales assistant, a lovely bloke who not only knew this product but confirmed that management was changing hands and the Savage 120, Standard 412 cab and Z10 switchboard were being sold as a 'One Item at COST PRICE'. All up the 3 items cost me #1,450 saving myself over #800, man was I on a high for a few months...

Anyway, I truly love this amp, but am hesitant to take it on the road. I would prefer to use it at home and in the studio. Just remember there are very few ENLGs in the UK and beyond that there are very little Savage 120s still, making it a hugely sought-after item. Hence why I have bought an ENGL Fireball...

Firstly it is massively heavy. There should be a plate on the front warning those thinking of lifting this mother 'Warning Do NOT lift unless you are a professional Sumo Wrestler'.

It is heavy, and the size of ENGL heads are just bubonic in size. If it were stolen, the thief wouldn't get far, even the axle in his car would scrape the ground and disintegrate. After which I would disembowel the bastard, drop the ENGL on his head and flatten them...

It's a great amp in closing and I am truly fortunate to have bought it at such a great deal. I honestly recommend that if you have the cash, seriously look into it. Tried Marshall?s, Boogies, Laney, Crate, Diezel and nothing I mean nothing comes close...

Read the manual / internet specs , it really has TOO MANY FEATURES to list.

Using a Jackson SL-1 with stock pickups (JB Trembucker at the bridge and Classick Stack mini-humbuckers single coils at the middle and neck position), and a Marshall 1960AV 4x12 with V30's.

The sound:

CLEAN CHANNEL:
Its clean, tons of headroom, but not to die for. Think marshall standard clean channel with FAR more headroom and better in breakup tones. Coming from a Marshall TSL100, i can say the marshall clean of the new JCM2000 series is better (warmer), this is a bit too cold (BUT the TSL has built in reverb, this doesn't so maybe its only the reverb lacking). With a touch of delay and chorus its MORE than usable, i would say good channel, but dont buy this amp for it ;-)

CRUNCH CHANNEL 1:
Nice bluesy crunch, which goes from almost clean to ac/dc and a bit more (not enough for guns 'n roses), expecially REALLY nice for blues. Only complain: not very punchy.

CRUNCH CHANNEL 2:
From mild overdriven tones to gun's 'n roses REALLY punchy crunch to iron maiden. You don't have thunderous palm muting here but a VERY VERY good crunch, it ABSOLUTELY beat my Marshall TSL. EXTREMELY punchy, i use the bass at 5 and the mids cranked, treble at 5.

LEAD CHANNEL:
From Van Halen (think "ain't talking about love" and "eruption") to Slayer, Pantera and to the point when the distortion is really too much ;-) Incredible sustain and crunchy palm muting here, wonderful for solos with the "smooth" mode and "rough" mode for riffing. For rythm power chords and stuff i would use the CRUNCH 2, better suited. Wonderful channel, you'll never want more punch and/or gain/sustain here, there's MORE than enough :-)

VERY IMPORTANT NOTE:
The gain knobs for clean channel and crunch1 channel work in a sort of "add mode", the same for crunch2 and lead, so:

Clean gain = Clean gain
Crunch 1 gain = Clean gain + Crunch 1 gain
Crunch 2 gain = Crunch 2 gain
Lead gain = Crunch 2 gain + Lead gain

So with crunch 2 gain at 6 and lead gain at 10 u have about 6+10=16/20 gain on the lead channel.

I use the presence at 3 o' clock, the master always full on, and channel volume to taste. Clean gain at noon, Crunch1 gain at 5 for ac/cd stuff, crunch2 gain at 6 for guns 'n roses, lead gain at 8->10 for van halen/slayer tones.

I rate it a 9 for the clean which isnt the best.

Hope this helps ;)

4 years, only replaced tubes every 8-10 months ;-)

BTW, you have 2 fuses on the back side of the amp, 1 will blow when the right power tube isn't working properly, and the other when the left one isn't working properly, so that you know which tube is responsible, very nice feature.

Never needed

Absolutely versatile and incredible tones can be dialed in with no effort (the amp sounds really good with all knobs at 5 already, so start there).

Don't buy it if you play country, for the others it is just insane, i had it for 900 euros (about 1100 US$) used here in italy, GREAT deal.

New is 1850 euro in germany (where it is built), absolutely worth it.

Personal suggestion: Try this if you're bored of your mesa/marshall, its ALWAYS good to have something different than the majority of people still having GREAT tones.

Other suggestion: I would suggest V30 speakers for this or mixed G1275 and V30's in a 4x12. mixed choice is EVEN better!

Feel free to email me for anything gear related ;-)

too many to mention

from pure blues, country, vintage rock, 80s metal, 90 mondo distortion to deathmetal/trash, all it has.
a few reviewers here seem to be 12 year olds who turn the gain way up like the treble and bass, scoop mids and then expect to sound like limp bizkit and sh*t....this isn't the amp for that.
if you do that it will sound not that good, get yourself a rectocrapper or something similar to match your ignorance when it comes to setting up vintage style all tube amps.

never broke down, i change the tubes once every half year, but thats me.

i emailed once about the amp, got everything answered within a week.

it sounds awesome through my humbucker guitars, i get everything out of them, made me sell my 3 marshalls.
try it dudes, but again, be carefull with the way you turn the knobs.

The Savage has many features-so many that its confusing. It took me a week to figure out how everything relates. Those that like to tinker will like it. I'd rather spend the extra time playing with my band.

I'm a little disappointed with the sounds on channel 3 and 4. Whoever said they aren't noisey must turn the gain low. It is definitely noisey when I play with my band. The gain reminds me of an ADA MP1 if you turn the treble and midrange up as high as they go. I've been using the ADA alot more lately.

Channel one is pretty good.

I won't go into what each channel does since it's been explained in the other reviews.

If it wasn't so noisey I would give it a 7 but I don't really like the sounds on channels 3 and 4.

My ADA was my backup but it gets used as much as the Engl lately.

It's not worth the money. I bought my ADA MP1 for backup for $135 and with my other guitarists Mesa Boogie power amp it's just as good and not as noisey. My friend offered to trade me his triple rectifier for it and I probably will trade it.

A lot of!! See other reviews.

Not really 'super' sounds in this head.All sounds are good but nothing special.
In the lead channels 3 - 4 the distortion is too muddy, not really clear and a lot of noise! Especially in channel 4.

Verry well built. No problems at all.

Never had to deal with Engl.

It's not bad but also not really good. This is my opion of course.
My other amps are boogie,marshall,randall,koch,peavey end vht.
Especially the vht and the koch sounds are from a higher level.

I bought mine 2nd hand,like 2 years ago, from a guy who played in a "pro" (=money making) metal-band.

With all it's features (I think I don't have to list them here) this amp is very versatile - enough for me, no matter what I play. I think it fits to everything... from Bach to John Lee Hooker to MetallicA.

It has more features than I need - but a built in noisegate would be cool though (like in other amps build by Engl).

I don't use it to practice at home. I use it for rehearsals with my band, playing concerts with my band and also for recording with my band in the studio - as it sounds better than all amps at the studio (even better than other big names like Mesa/Boogie or Steavens).

It has enough power for me. Usually I play with the channel and master volume half open - so it's quite nice.

I think this amp really IS "very versatile"!

I own four guitars:

Washburn Nuno Bettencourt Signature Series 2
A 60's Jazz-Guitar made in germany
ESP Eclipse Standard (EMG-81)
ESP-LTD Horizon 250 (EMG-81)

Most of the time I play with my band (www.teamkiller.com) and I use the ESP guitars and the Savage in the 4th (Lead) channel.
I play in a hardcore band and I have a metal guitar sound.
This amp suits me perfect. There is no other amp I would use instead - it has it's very own sound character and I love it.

I think I can explain this character a bit while contrasting it with a Mesa/Boogie Rectifier. Don't get me wrong, I own a 2x12" Rectifier Cab and I even considered a Rectifier as an option for buying before I compared it with the Savage.

The Recti is very muddy, but not necassary in a bad way as it sounds really dirty and mean.

The Savage is more clean, isn't muddy.

This is more of a question of taste BUT what's really better with the Engl is that is has really a lot more of punch - I guess that comes with being more clean and to-the-point.
It's dosn't only sound good, it's also a nice feeling when you get that "response" from your amp - you can really feel the life in it.

Overall I think you could say that the Engl is a clear, straight, to-the-point and punching amp. I mean this in a way of describing something that isn't as subjective like if I like the sound - if you know what I mean.

The amp has a lot of gain - I have the poti usually put in a half open position. Unfortunately the 4th channel is really noise. That means that if you play songs with parts in it where you don't play for a second (like mosh-parts for example) a good noisegate is a must-have.

As I mentioned this "poti set to half open"-thing a few times before I really have to say that this is kind of "plug-and-play" amp. You don't need to adjust anything, this amp just sounds good no matter if you worked on your EQ for hours or not. It just sounds good everywhere! One time I had to use another cabinet and took some time to get the sound right with this one. I put it on and it just sounded good - no need to change anything. But really cheap cabinets (like when you don't take your own backline with you on tour) can be a problem when sounding like a bucket. Some can not cope with the hard harsh metal tone the Engl can produce. But I think that's also the case when using other amps with really messy cabs.

The clean channel is really clean, as it is supposed to be.

The amount of distortion you can get is overwhelming... it's just enough. Sometimes I think that I should't use EMG-81 because the amp alone gives me that much attack, punch and pure metal sound.

I also play over with other guitars, but not that often. But they all sound really sweet with the Engl!

In my (!) opinion this is the best sounding amp I've ever heard and played. I have to admit that I didn't play any +10.000$ amps, but every amp in this range, like Rectifiers, 5150s, XXXs, Soldano and stuff like that.

I think you can depend on this amp. I have never had a problem with it (remember, I bought it 2nd hand) and I DO use it on all my gigs without a backup - and it never let me down.

I don't know how I should rate this one since I haven't had the amp for a long time (only like 2 years) but since I really never ever had one single problem I also go it a 10.

In the beginning I didn't know if I could use 2 cabinet with different Ohm-settings so called them.
I got Mr. Engl himself on the phone and he was quite kindly.

But acutally I never got any problem that needed "customer support" so I prefer not to rate this category.

I play guitar for about 7 years.
I own the four guitars mentioned, the Mesa-Cabinet mentioned, the Savage of course, a Behringer-V-Amp & a small crappy "Chery"-amp to practice at home, some stomp-boxes, korg-tuner, ...

If it would be stolen I would be lost - since I don't have any money to buy another one. But I would definately buy this beautiful amp again - 100%.

As I mentioned above I compared it to a lot of other amps before buying.

I like to tell you that this is a very good amp that, in my opinion, can be used for a lot of styles - like for every player out there - IF and only IF you like it's character.
I could image some people feel like the distortion is to cold and hard - or in general "to clean" (I don't mean that it hasn't enough gain...).

I love it!

THE GUY BELOW ME, "WAYNE" ALSO SUCKS AT REVIEWS.THAT IDIOT PROBABLY NEVER OWNED OR PLAYED A SAVAGE FOR MORE THAN 10 MINUTES!!! 4 CHANNELS,AND FEATURES OUT THE YING YANG.ONLY MY DIEZEL VH-4 HAS MORE FEATURES THAN THE SAVAGE 120.............

"WAYNE" SAYS THIS AMP IS A 80'S METAL AMP, AND AGAIN HE SUCKS AT REVIEWS!!! THE SAVAGE IS A GREAT AMP THAT GOES FROM CLEAN JAZZ TYPE SOUNDS TO HEAVY DEATH METAL RAGING TONE.ONLY MY DIEZEL VH-4 & FRAMUS COBRA ARE BETTER! THE SAVAGE 120 ROCKS HARD, GREAT LOW END BOTTOM AND NOT NOISY!

"OWNED" THE AMP 2 1/2 YEARS, AND THE AMP WORKS AWESOME JUST LIKE THE DAY I BOUGHT IT! KT-88 POWER TUBES AND 6 ECC83'S PREAMP TUBES.GERMAN CRAFTMANSHIP ALL THE WAY!!! EVER NOTICE THAT THE GERMANS ARE MAKING THE BEST AMPS??? THINK ABOUT IT: ENGL, FRAMUS, DIEZEL, H&K

ENGL WILL ANSWER ANY EMAILS AND ARE COOL TO DEAL WITH!

ENGL AMPS NEED TO INCLUDE THE FOOTCONTROLLERS AND THAT'S MY ONLY BEEF WITH ENGL.AFTER MORE THAN TWO YEARS AND COMPARING MORE AND MORE AMPS THAT I AQUIRE, I STILL GIVE THIS A STRONG 9, BECAUSE IT'S VERSATILE, AND FLEXIBLE, WELL MADE, AND IT SOUNDS AWESOME. FUNNY HOW SOME IDIOTS THAT DO THESE REVIES DON'T LEAVE THEIR EMAIL ADDRESS OR ANYTHING?! WHAT'S THAT ABOUT??? BE A MAN, AND STEP UP TO THE PLATE.......

Year: no idea
Versatile: good for 80's metal-thats it
Channels: 4
Features I wish it had: independent EQ for each channel
Amp used: bought to use for rehersals and as backup to Bogner
Power: alot of power (gets noisy)
Other features: I had to buy the foot controller seperate

Guitar & pickup: PRS McCarty, PRS Custom 24, Schecter Hollywood custom, Driskill Diablo. (All with stock pickups).
Music style: Hard rock & modern metal
Is it noisy? : YES! Forget about turning up the gain!!
Sounds: good for outdated metal
Clean: sounds good with tweaking
Brutal distortion: If you like old metal

Opinion: I bought this amp because it was cheap for what it is. I wanted a backup for my Bogner Ecstacy and to use for rehersal so I can keep my Bogner at my home studio and for gigging. I would not play out with this amp unless my Bogner blew up on stage.

Playing: 15 years
Other gear: see above
Love: the price
Hate: only good for old metal
Compared: My Bogner suits me better and is more versatile. For people that frown on the Bogner pricetag---go by a Marshall and save yourself the money unless you can get a deal like I did on a savage.
Wish it had: see features
Anything else I'd like to share?: Sme of these reviews on Harmony Central are hilarious. Why do you kids take other peoples opinions so personally? If everyone liked the same thing this would be a boring place. Not everyone thinks this amp is the greatest thing since sliced bread including myself---DEAL WITH IT!.

i think we've heard it often enough now. gets a 9 cuz there is no footswitch included. SHAME ON U ENGL O_O

sometimes i can't stand it anymore. i don't know who posts here but i usually think those guys are not even old enough to think about what they are actually writing here. i hear people telling this amp is only for fellas who need high midrange sound the other one says it needs an external EQ. and now WTF?!?! brain=thx!! prolly noone of u played this amp for longer than 10 minutes or otherwise u guys are just retarded. getting an anwesome sound on this amp is so easy. and now they are telling me that this amp hasn't the low end of a VHT UL and that this isn't as. lemme tell u something. the low end of the VHTs SUCKS ASS.
this review forum is just a nightmare cuz every fuckin retarted homo is allowed to post here. STOP TALKING ABOUT THINGS U HAVE NO IDEA OF.


now i want to come to my review and i only can recommned not taking those idiots for granted.this amp is one of the best amps in the whole world if ure intrested in high gain sounds without loosing any versatility u'll deffnetly not be disapionted. now i'll keep my review short. i won't dicribe the sound that much becuz i recommend playing the head anyways before u buy it.

chan 1 : clean very nice dynamics. gets an 8 cuz there are better amps with clean channels out there.

chan 2 : u can reach crunsh sounds with this chan. nice for blues and soft rock. gets an 8

chan 3 : midd gain chan wich allows u to create sound from rock to oldschool metal. very nice chan for the price u can't get a better one. gets a 10

chan 4 : and now it starts. high gain without loosing any dynamics. this chan kicks ass. any metal sound u wanna have. mid scoop high midrange high bottom end .aynthing u can dream of. it's pretty suprising that this head can also be compared with amps wich cost about more than twice as much. gets a 10 for mercyless metal sound. would give it a 11 if i could. awesome for the price. awesome!

made in germany. build like a tank ready to kill. own it for 10 years never had probs.

never dealed with em cuz i hadn't to.

u can't get a better head for the price. again brain = thx.

I don't know the year I got it as a demo in December 2003. In my view the Savage 120 is a 2 channel head with a lead boost not 4. I wish it has independent EQs. The effect loops mess with the sound to much so I don't use them. It has alot of power and it's noisy with the gain turned up even at low volume. It's great for Slayer sounds and priced good for what it has.

I have a Jackson soloist with EMG pickups and a Jackson Kelly with a Seymore Duncan Jeff Beck in the lead. The sound is better with the non active Seymore Duncan. With the EMG its very very noisey. My current band plays Slayer inspire speed metal thrash and it's okay for that but not much other music. I agree with the other reviewer its not good for any modern sounds and yes if you don't like high midrange you will hate this head. The clean is pretty good but I don't really use it in this band. My other amp is a Splawn modded Marshall and is more what I like when I'm playing at home. The Savage 120 is a little better for the Slayer kind of music in my band. I can get close to the Savage with my Marshall if I use a EQ pedal. I set it the opposite of most persons settings (upside down U) and it is very close. I might trade or sell the Savage and just use the Marshall instead. The other guitarist in my band has a Vht ultralead that sounds great but they are expensive. If I can find one for the price of the Savage I would get one. It is thick and not as noisey as the Savage.

I had to change the power tubes already otherwise good.

I played in a band for 3 years. If it was stolen I don't think I would get another one unless it was very cheap. I recomend this amp for Slayer music. I think it's a good amp but I wouldn't play it if I was in another band.

THIS REVIEW IS FOR THE SUBMISSION DATED 10/23/2003<<<<<<HEY YOU MR. ANONYMOUS(SCARED TO WRITE YOUR FREAKIN NAME HUH?)YOU NO NOTHING ABOUT AN ENGL SAVAGE.YOU GAVE IT A 7.........IT HAS VERSATILITY WRITTEN ALL OVER IT AND 4 CHANNELS AND LOTS OF KNOBS AND BUTTONS.YOU SAID IT YOURSELF AND YOU GAVE IT A 7.......PLEASE DON'T DO ANOTHER REVIEW BECAUSE YOU SUX AT IT!!!I HAVE OWNED NEARLY EVERY HEAD I CAN GET A HOLD OF AND THE ENGL SAVAGE 120 HAS LOADS OF FEATURES.AFTER NEARLY TWO YEARS OF WRITING MY FIRST REVIEW FOR IT,I STILL GIVE IT A 10

HERE YOU GAVE THE HEAD A 5?FOR YOUR INFORMATION,I TOO,OWN A FRAMUS COBRA HEAD.THE VHT CL DOES NOT SOUND BETTER THAN THE ENGL.THE FRAMUS COBRA IS A 10 IN MY BOOK SO I WILL LOWER THIS A TAD BIT.IT STILL SOUNDS AWESOME WITH 4 USEABLE CHANNELS.YOU THE IDIOT SAY YOU CAN'T GET MIDRANGE AND THAT THIS ENGL NEEDS A EQ???YOU MUST BE FREAKIN TONE DEAF!!!!THIS HEAD CAN/WILL DO IT ALL.I WILL SAY THAT,REALLY IT IS A METAL AMP BUT NOT FOR STUPID NU-METAL.LET THEM BUY RECTIFIERS BECAUSE THEY CAN'T PLAY LEADS AND RECTO'S SUX AS LEAD AMPS.THE MARK SERIES HEADS ARE BETTER FOR LEAD PLAYING.YOU,THE IDIOT,SAYS THIS AMP HISSES LIKE A 5150 AND I ASK YOU AGAIN,ARE YOU DEAF???I OWN A 5150 AS WELL AND THERE IS NO WAY THE ENGL NOISE IS LOUDER THAN THE 5150'S.ARE YOU STUPID OR SOMETHING OR JUST PLAIN STUPID!!!MY FRAMUS HEAD HAS MORE LOW END AND MORE DISTORTION AND JUST AS GOOD A CLEAN SOUND AS THE ENGL,SO THIS TIME NOT A 9 FROM ME BUT AN 8......

NO PROBLEMS AFTER TWO FULL YEARS OWNING THIS AMP.NEVER BROKEN DOWN,NOTHING.JUST A GREAT AMP REALLY.BELEIVE THE HYPE FOLKS.THIS IS A REAL GERMAN MADE AMP,JUST LIKE DIEZEL,FRAMUS AND H&K.THE GERMANS MAKE FANTASTIC AMPLIFIERS PERIOD!

NO PROBLEMS.EMAIL THEM AND THEY WILL GET BACK TO YOU WITH ANY QUESTIONS.

I WOULD RATE THE AMP AT 9 CONSIDERING WHAT I CURRENTLY HAVE OWNED OR WHAT I OWN NOW.IT IS A REALLY GREAT AMPLIFIER.I HEARD THE POWERBALL HAD MORE OVERDRIVE SO WHEN I GET ONE(AND I WILL!)I'LL LET YOU KNOW THE UPDATE.THAT CHEESY REVIEW GIVEN BY ANONYMOUS ON 10/23/2003 A COUPLE OF REVIEWS BELOW THIS ONE HAS NO CLUE AND IS TONE DEAF!!!I UNDERSTAND THAT EACH GUITAR PLAYER HAS DIFFERENT IDEA'S ABOUT TONE AND REVIEW'S ARE SUBJECTIVE FOR SURE BUT,WHEN SOMEONE IS NOT TELLING THE TRUTH OR DOESN'T HAVE A FREAKIN CLUE,THEN HE IS MESSING UP.I STAND BEHIND MY ENGL SAVAGE 120.IT IS TOUGH TO BEAT WITH IT'S 4 CHANNELS.I AGREE THAT ENGL SHOULD SELL THE Z-10 FOOT CONTROLLER WITH THE AMP.THE ENGL IS NOT NOISY IN CHANNEL 3 OR 4.IT CAN GET MIDRANGE IF YOU SO CHOOSE.THE IDIOT I HAVE BEEN MENTIONING BELOW THIS REVIEW A 6 IN THIS DEPARTMENT.ARE YOU KIDDING?YOU NEED A TICKET TO THE FUNNY FARM!HE GAVE 7 FOR FEATURES,I GAVE A 10.SOUND QUALITY HE GAVE A 5 AND I GAVE IT AN 8.BY THE WAY,I DON'T JUSTIFY MY SPENDING $2000 FOR THE ENGL AND I THINK IT'S WORTH EVERY PENNY.DID I MENTION,BUY THIS AMP!

2001 model, bought on ebay. It's obviously one of the more versatile amps out there. See below for features.

I use a LP elegant w/ EMG 81's, LP Jimmy Page, PRS CU 24 and an EPI sheraton for styles demanding very clean (jazz and softer indie) to metalcore (think Darkest hour/ATG and Converge). I use my Savage for both and it doesn't let me down in the least. As someone stated before, the 6550's are a unique tube with a bold upper mid character. I love this however because it brightens up my humbuckers and gives the gain channel a TON of cut and clarity. The depth boost is a must for breakdowns and the twin volumes are great for solos. I really like the saturation of gain on this amp and even when I'm playing metal I don't need to put the lead boost on in channel 4. It has more than enough gain. In the interest of making this a fair review i could comment that the 4th channel with the gain maxed COULD be less noisy, but it's definitely less than MANY high gain amps.

Blew tubes and such in it, but that was mostly due to shoddy wiring in sketchy dive clubs. I never gig with a backup and haven't really felt worried about it. I fear about servicing it in canada, that and the (what i feel are) cheap plastic knobs make me knock it down a notch in this dept.

I emailed them once about tubes and they emailed me back promptly, hardly an extensive evaluation but so far so good.

I've been playing for 10 years. I've owned (amongst others) a JCM 800, Flextone II HD, Mesa Recto, and a 5150 and this is really the best parts of those amps rolled into one. The balls of the mesa, the clarity of the 800, the agression of the 5150 and the flexibility of the Line 6. I would def. buy another but i might look into the Savage SE if i had the bling bling. But it's lasted me 3 years and 2 tours and the most convincing arguement i can give for this amp is that whenever i am gassing for a new amp, I just plug into my savage and realize my tone is right where i left it.

My review is based on a 2003 model which I purchased new. Let me begin by stressing that I really wanted to like this amp and purchased it mainly by reputation due to the fact that I could not actually demo one in person. Big mistake! Long story short...don't buy into the hype! This amp, and Engl in general are the current craze and just like everything else, will eventually fizzle.

There's no doubt that it's chock full of features. However, I found the layout confusing at first and simply annoying later on. I'm a firm believer that less is more. IMO, the effects loops are sub-par. Compared to my VHT CL, simply a joke. Even though the Savage is midi ready, you still need to fork out the cash to go there unlike a Framus Cobra (my other head) which has a built in interface. You'll also need to fork out another $160 for a footpedal, as Engl doesn't think they need to include one. Naturally, you can't get away with a cheapy one with the Engl design. Considering the gazillion knobs on the amp itself, their footswitch is fairly limited as well. I'll score the features an 7 based on the fact that it's a tweakers dream, but if you're looking to plug & play I'd consider it a nightmare.

I purchased this amp mainly for dirt although the clean is decent. Not as good as my Framus, but better than my VHT (the CL does not have a dedicated clean). My biggest complaint about the Savage vs. the rest of the Engl line is it's inability to dial out it's upper mid voicing. It's nearly impossible to dial out without the addition of an EQ, which weighs heavy on my opinion of it's versatility or lack there of. Let me stress that the upper mids in the Savage are relentless. Who wants to spend $2k on an amp that needs an EQ? Not me. For half the price, the Fireball bitch slaps it. If you're searching for modern or "nu" tones, the Savage will come up short. This amp is anything but smooth. You're better off with the Powerball or the Fireball, which is the sleeper in the Engl line. The Savage is also noisy when you up the gain and you'll need to if you want to get it anyhere near the "balls" (Power & Fire, that is =) ).

I own several custom guitars with numerous pickup configurations & body woods, etc.. The Savage achieves little more than a 5150, for twice the price & it's just as noisy. Big disappointment folks! Again, don't buy into the hype! I get the feeling that some people need to justify an amp based on how much they spend. As I stated in the opening of this review I really wanted to like this amp, and anyone that gives it "10's" across the board is either in denial or just plain tone deaf. Unfortunately, it's not as simple as walking into the average retailer to find one to demo, especially now since they're on their way to being discontinued. I'm trying my best not to totally trash this amp as I'm sure it will appeal to someone, but not me by a long shot. Therefore, I'm generously scoring it a "5" in this category to show this is not a witch hunt.

Didn't keep it long enough to find out!

See above.

Been playing longer than I care to admit. As mentioned above, I currently own a Framus Cobra & VHT CL and have had numerous high gain amps through the years. If I was searching for another high gainer I'd probably go with an Uberschall or a VHT Ultralead, but I'm quite content with the Framus & VHT for the time being. I doubt I'd go with another Engl, but if I did it would be a Fireball or Powerball over the Savage. IMO, the Framus & VHT destroy it. Those 2 amps have different voicings compared to one another, so I'm far from close minded when it comes to varying tones. If I still owned the Savage (I already traded it for other gear) and it was lost or stolen, I wouldn't buy it again, even for half the price. Did I mention avoid the hype? =)

Can you honestly find a more versatile amp around for this price tag??? This is a tone machine if you take the time to learn how to dial

I own several axes but mainly using a Gibson LP DeLuxe.
With the band I mainly play Southern in the large specrtum and blues_metal (which is my thing). The Savage is so versatile that is scaring. This is the ultimate versatile machine. Just find a dealer and find it out by yourself!

It's German built! The only drow back is the waiting list this babies are not easily available

No experience

I have been playing for 21 years 10 of which as a professional in my country. Of all of the amps I have gone through I have retained only a couple, a vintage 1960 tweed bassman and a soldano HR+. Each of them has a its own GLORY, the bassman it's a finger_activated_tonal_monster (that is if you change sligtly the pick attack the tone changes) neverthe less I do not consider it a versatile amp. The Soldano, I fall for the overdrive, it's unique. The Savange it's a modern ultra flex tone machine with its own voice so it's a keeper!!!!!

I have a 2003 Savage 120 that I've owned now for a little over a month. I play a variety of styles from blues to classic rock to alternative. I'm playing this amp through a THD 2x12 cabinet.

The other reviews have pretty well covered the feature list, so I won't repeat it all here. I will mention that I'm using the amp with the MIDI interface and a Ground Control Pro pedal. This works particularly well. Using the MIDI interface, you can assign amp settings for MIDI programs 1 through 100. The features that can be MIDI controlled are as follows: Channel 1/2/3/4, Rough/Smooth mode, Presence A/B and Master A/B. I can't tell you how cool it is to switch from a Channel 3 / Rough rhythm sound to a Channel 4 Smooth master/presence boosted lead sound with the touch of a button (plus I can activate MIDI controlled effects at the same time.)

I make use of all of the switchable features, and they all are useful. The rough/smooth mode and the dual presence controls really widens the range of sounds you have instant access to.

The only feature I wish it had was separate tone controls for each channel. (Channels 1 and 2 share one set, and Channels 3 and 4 share another). It makes it a little hard to dial in a great sound on all four channels. Still it's one of the most flexible tube heads out there, and I've come up with pretty good compromise settings for the tone controls.

I'm using it with a variety of guitars. This amp definitely likes some guitars more than others. I get great results with a PRS Custom 24 and a Brian Moore DC/1. With a Strat, I find I need a clean boost pedal to get decent results, especially in the Crunch channel. This amp covers the variety of sounds I want better than any other tube amp I've encountered.

Channel 1 is a decent clean channel. Not a Fender clean, but much better than most high gain amps I've heard. It has more than enough headroom for my purposes.

Channel 2 is the crunch channel. This channel needs some careful dialing in, but can get great AC/DC sounds with humbuckers or Stevie Ray sounds with a Strat and a boost pedal. I should point out that the gain controls are laid out in an unusual manner. In channel 2, both the channel 1 and channel 2 gain controls are active. The channel 2 gain setting is added to the channel 1 setting. I got much better sounds out of channel 2 once I realized this. Channel 3 and 4's gain controls work in a similar manner.

Channel 3 is a nice drive channel. It ranges from Marshall-like drive sounds to pretty brutal grind. It's got a great sound that's heavy but still clear - you can still hear the guitar's own sound and you can hear every note clearly. I'd say that the sound is more like a super hotrodded Marshall and less like a Rectifier, but it definitely has its own unique voice. Channels 3 and 4 have the rough/smooth mode switch, which switches the channel from the normal grind sound to a smooth, midrangey lead sound (think Eric Johnson).

Channel 4 is a monster. This channel loves low tunings and palm muted playing. Lots of bass and chunk and more gain than I know what to do with. I keep the gain up about half way and that's plenty. The only other amp with a comparable high gain sound is the Diezel Herbert (both amps have different high gain sounds, but they're both great in their own way).

I haven't gigged with it yet, but I have dragged it over to a friend's house several times for jamming. So far so good. It seems well built. I've only had it for a short while, so I can't comment on its long term reliability.

I haven't had to contact Engl yet.

Overall, this is the best amp I've ever played. Super flexible, great sound. The only other amp that was a real contender was the Diezel Herbert, and that costs more than double what I paid for the Savage. If it was stolen, I'd definitely buy another, although I'd look at the new Savage Special Edition that's coming out soon - it has even more features like independent treble controls for each channel, which would help quite a bit.

This amp was made in late-2002. I play everything from funk to blues to classic rock to shred to modern metal. The Savage 120 has four channels to cover all those cateogories and a whole lot more. Features-wise, I can't imagine any more from an amp. It's got four distinctive channels and everything else I could think of.

I mainly use a Tom Anderson with an HSH pickup config. The amp's tight but musical and "spongy" where you want it to be. The sounds are pretty spectacular.

I tried the Mesa Road King, a Bogner 101B and Classic, and a bunch more. The Powerball sticks them all pretty good.

This amp has more features than most guitar players can shake a stick at. I won't go through the laundry list of features that have already been mentioned by other contributors here. It's a little tricky dialing in each sound exactly as you want it to be without affecting the others, but after several months of tweaking now, I can say that I'm pretty happy with all of its sounds and features.

I use a Tom Anderson and a Suhr Standard. I play mainly 80's metal but like to dabble in the so-called "modern" metal as well. I also like classic rock and metal that have a progressive bent. I need variety of sounds. Be it spanking clean or dirty or filthy to the max, the Savage 120 delivers in spades with great quality. It's a pretty punchy amp due to its 6550 tubes, but it's still smooth and very articulate. I've tried all kinds of amps over the years and this one has the tone that I had been searching for forever. Just beautifully brutal as far as distortion sounds are concerned. Savage is an appropriate name indeed!

I've had it for 4 months now and hasn't had any weirdness going on at all. I swapped out some microphonic preamp tubes but that's about it. Seems very dependable. I still have an old Boogie Mk. III that I keep around as a backup. Gotta have a backup (even if it's a cheap Crate or Peavey or whatever) for gigs...

Haven't had to deal with them.

I've been playing for about 25 years now and own too much stuff to list here. I really love this amp. It came down to either this or a Bogner Ecstasy or a VHT UL after all my research and I was surprised how easy the choice came to be. The Savage was a late entry cuz I really hadn't heard much about them. I figured that I couldn't go wrong with names like Bogner or VHT. Was I wrong!

After reading about the Engl on the net, I decided that I needed to try it out. After a test spin there was no doubt in my mind that it was superior to the others that I've tried. At least for my needs... To me, the Engl seems to have the best qualities of amps like the Ecstasy and the Ultra Lead while leaving out what I felt were undesirable artifacts of both. I'm really happy with this amp. The heavy sounds are among the best in the business and it's super versatile to boot. It's defintely an amp to consider if you're in the market for a high-gain amp with a wide range of sounds.

Check The other Reviews For The Vast Amount of Features on this Beast..

Im Using A Fender Strat and Ibanez Rg both equipped with DiMarzio pickups.This Amp is without a doubt the greatest amp i have ever plugged into.The SUSTAIN is phenominal,and the GAIN is beyond amazing.No pedals will be needed with this Savage.The Clean sounds are also amazing.If your looking for a great amp with great tone,stop looking and buy the Savage 120.

I havent got it long enough to judge on this but it seems to be built like a tank.

I have found the amp of my dreams and i can stop wasting money on trying to find the ultimate amp.I have found it in my Engle Savage 120.I am going into the studio shortly to record my first album and i am confident that i will get the sound i have dreamed of with this amp."Tip of the Hat" to ENGL

2001-02 The Engl is the most versatile amp ever made period! 4-channel monster with channel switching. I've opted for the Z-12 midi controller. 2 Effects loops, 120 watts all tube , 2-6550's and 5 ecc83's, no reverb. Amazing!!

I use 1983 Ibanez Destroyer , USA Fender Strat w/synth, G&L Invader w/sustainer and Terry McInturff Glory. I play a variety. Not noisy at all in any setting. The clean channel is like the best Fender twin you could find. The second channel is one of the greatest overdrives you will ever hear. The third channel is the best Marshall 800 you will ever hear. The fourth channel, well , you guessed it, will make rectumfriers beg for forgiveness. The midi function are the cats' ass. It is just like having a cutom Bradshaw unit at your feet. I use a T.C. Electronic G-Major and a Chandler SDE-2 echo for effects. Switching effects and channels are a breeze. This set up is the best ever. This amp sounds incredibly well at low volumes also.

No problems . I would gig without a backup.

I had a few questions about the midi set up. Horst Langer emailed me the next day and answered my questions. I bought the amp from the Sound Post in Skokie, IL. Jeff is extremely helpful in every way. He is the main cat for Engl in the US .

I've been playing for 20 years. If it were lost or stolen I would buy another one . I love everything about this amp and hate nothing. I also own a Bogner Shiva El-34 w/Reverb and a VHT Pitbull Classic. I also love both of these amps and do not have a bad thing to say about them . I will be selling both of the amps. The Engl does these amps and so much more especially with the Z-12 midi foot controller. There is absolutely no reason to buy another amplifier, I found the ultimate!!!!!

It delivers as a recording only all round studio amp. I dont gig or play. This was a concidered and strategic purchase for a private alt rock producers studio The Library, London http:///www.librarystudio.com
As well as it's own sounds I can plug my Marshall JMP1 and Digitech Valve FX into its insert return to use it just as a power amp.

I think a vibro champ & this and I am good to go for most sounds out there in Alt Rock.

Cut out at VERY high gain, I have to look at that, but turning it down a tad cured it.

I speced a cab with two different types of speaker either side, they made it for me.. no extra cost. I wanted this for recording 'variation' - I dig it so far.

Very pleased with it. Of course the 'amp wall' (of every cool amp ever made) is planned with the proceeds from the worldwide smash hit I have in the pipeline,(dreaming) but untill then, the Engle & my weird 'split' 4 x 12 (and perhaps a Fender Vibro Champ) will more than cover me for bands who turn up to make recordings and bring poor quality equipment of their own.

Metalica producer Michael Wagener recommended it to me. Thanks Michael!

There are plenty of info on this incredible amp below, you can download the manual at the Engl site. Mine is a 2002 model. The key word on this amp is Versatility! It offer a complete array of tones from clena to high-gain maddnes, btw the high-gain in the Savage 120 is far better IMO then the one you can get from the Savage Special edition! The distortion is nastier if you know what I mean.

As far as axes I use, Fender custom-shop 60, Parker Classic, a Carvin custom made and a Gibson 79 Gold Top with mini humb. The tones you can get from this amp are a dream comes true! Apparently there is no sound that, with his own personality, this amp is incapable to reproduce. Just try one out and find for yourself. Btw for the George Lynch fan out there just notice what Mr. Lynch is plug on during his REH video ;-)
As far as my style of music is mainly Metal-Blues.
One last thing the 4X12 vintage cabinet sound beyond word can tell. Probably the best cabinet out there IMO

So far no experience in this department. But it seems built as a German Panzer.

As above

Been playing for over 20 years, and during this time had the chance to use several brand Marshalls, Voxs, Fenders and Mesas. The only other amp that gets close to the Savage 120 for versatility is the Mesa Mark IV.
Tone wise the Savage 120 IMO has a unparallel clean and scarring High Gain and all in the middle. So far I have not found such tonal versatility in any other amps. If it were stolen would buy it again.

2001 ENGL SAVAGE 120 with so many features that I would suggest reading the review below me for in depth details.It is a 4 channel 120 Watt Head that can be used via the ENGL MIDI Switching devices,sold seperately might I add.This amp is just versatile man,going from Fender clean to an unbelievable high gain mayhem.This amp does it all and then some.This head is not the loudest head I've played through but truly the best sounding head by far.Two ENGL 6550's and six hand selected ENGL ECC83/12AX7 preamp tubes drive this amp with features like bright,preshape,contour,depth boost,presence,lead boost,rough/smooth switches round out the options on the front of the amp.On the back of the head is two 4 ohm jacks,two 8 ohm jacks,and a 16 ohm jack.There is a master loop,FX Loop Ch. 1 & 2 with send,return and balance and there is a place for the ENGL MIDI Interface Port to connect the Z-10 or Z-7 or Z-12 footswitches.I use the Z-10 with my ENGL SAVAGE.I have to give this a 10 because of the options and versatility.

I currently own 40 guitars and my main axes are USA Jackson's like the Warrior,and a Randy Rhodes Custom from 1985.I also use Kelly's and Dinky's and most all the body styles they have.I also use Ibanez,Dean's,BC Rich's,Washburn's,Peavey Vandenburg,and ESP's as of late.I currently use 6 4 X 12 cabinets and three other heads and a full rack system.I use this for Progressive Christian Metal Band that I'm currently forming but no name as of yet.The ENGL is really quiet considering how much gain can be achieved with this head.This amp is good for country or death metal and EVERYTHING in between.Check out the submission below.The guy is a dedicated Bogner Ecstacy Lover and still loves this head.You would love this head too if you like an amp that is versatile like this one is!!!!4 channels!!!The clean channel is clean even at high volume and the high gain channel just smokes!!!THIS AMP IS LIKE THE $4500 DIEZEL AMP WITHOUT THE PRICE TAG!!!!!I have had sooooooo many heads in my 23 years of playing:Soldano,Marshall's,Peavey's,Ampeg's,Laney's,Randall's,Crate's,MESA-BOOGIE RECTO's and so on and so on.THIS IS THE AMP TO BUY AND I'M HAPPY AFTER 23 YEARS PLAYING THAT I'VE FOUND AN AMP THAT RESPONDS LIKE THIS ONE DOES.No amp is a 10 I don't guess,but this is pretty close.It's 9+ EASY!!!!

I had the amp for awhile now.Not just 2 days or 2 weeks or 2 months.I decided to check this amp out for awhile before writing the review.I'm still psyched about my SAVAGE 120 and you would be too!!Mesa-Boogie's Rectifiers are great amps for the American people who all seem to play them BUT I'll keep the ENGL SAVAGE 120....I think the Mesa's are louder...But they don't sound as good.This amp is dependable because of German Engineering and point to point wiring hand built amplifier.Enough said!!!I would use this without a backup.If a tube burns out this amp will still run on 1/3 of it's power!!!How about that!!!!????

You can buy these in America through J.I.Concepts...You can go to there website: www.jiconcept.com or write them for more information and catalog at:JI Concept US INC. 6440 Antigua Place West Hills,CA.91307 or phone # 818-610-2896 and ask to speak to Jacques Isler...Jacques will be more than happy to help you as he helped me,in finding the ultimate high gain amplifier.The ENGL name has many more heads and cabinets,preamps and anything your heart desires.Just call Jacques....

Playing time of 23 years since 1979...I own TOO much gear to mention here.About 40 guitars and many heads like Laney,Peavey,Ampeg,and of course ENGL.I have rack gear mostly Rocktron and use VHT,Carvin,Randall,Marshall speaker cabints through Pro-Co and monster cable through a Nady wireless.I would buy this head again if stolen,no question about it.I LOVE this amp.It could have a little more bottom if I wanted to get super picky about something,that's it!!!!I compare this to the Bogner Ubershall and Deizel Amplifiers.Overall,I'll give this a 10 because it's closer to a 10 then a 9 rating.This is the best head for the money hands down.IT IS ALOT OF MONEY FOR THESE BUT IF YOUR A SEMI-PRO AND LOOKING FOR AN AMP THAT LOOKS GREAT AND SOUNDS EVEN BETTER,GET A ENGL SAVAGE 120 AND QUIT SHOPPING AROUND.I WASTED ALMOST TWO YEARS TRYING TO FIND THE BEST HIGH-GAIN AMP FOR THE MONEY.I FOUND IT IN THE ENGL SAVAGE 120...WRITE ME IF YOU NEED TO.I'LL ANSWER ANY QUESTION...THANKS

Get ready, there are a TON of features in this amp. They thought of everything and a BIT more. So, be patient reading this section of my review.
4-channel tube amp with 2 extra modes plus various other preamp and power amp tonal shaping switches which give many possibilities to shape your guitar sound. Let me explain how it works. They divided the amp in 2 "Main Channels" , A & B. In Main Channel A, you have 2 sub-channels, Clean and Crunch 1. These have individual preamps stages, so they sound very distinct. Individual volume and gain controls for each sub-channel so that you can hear them at the same or different volumes and/or gain levels. Further, you have a Contour and Preshape controls to alter the sound caracter of Main Channel A.
In Main Channel B, you have again another 2 sub-channels, Crunch 2 and and Lead. Again very different sounding lead channels. Individual volume and gain controls for each sub-channel so that you can set them at the same or different volumes and/or gain levels. Using the same principle, you can further alter the sound of these sub-channels with Countour and Rough/Smooth switches. These switches are very effective and can sweeten or add more agressiveness to your overall lead sound. The good part is that all this can be programmed via MIDI (if you get their MIDI interface, the Z7 which costs $180 and any MIDI foot-controller).
All these controls so far were preamp tonal shaping features. Well guess what, they offer a ton of other choices in the power amp section of the amp. There are 2 INDIVIDUAL Master level controls A & B (apart from the individual preamp volume channel controls). 2 INDIVIDUAL Presence controls A & B. Finally, there are too Depth Boost switches assigned to each Presence control. The Master level controls and Presence controls can also be assigned via midi.
2 FX loops, one for each of the 2 "Main Channels" or you can use one of the loops as a master loop, in which case the other loop is turned off.
All the main functions such as channel switching, Master level controls, Presence controls and Rough/Smooth switch can be controlled via their foot pedal Z10 or midi controlled (if you buy their MIDI interface, Z7, and use it with any MIDI foot-controller). I'm using mine with a ENGL Z7 midi interface and a ENGL Z12 midi foot-controller.
It's tough for me to think of other features that they could have added, apart from being able to turn the FX loops on and off DIRECTLY via their midi setup. But I still Am going to give it a 10 because you can always do so indirectly. I'll explain. All you need is to have a programmable device in the loop that has a bypass function such as a Lexicon PCM reverb, Rocktron Intellifex, Eventide etc. Their midi interface, the Z7, has a Midi through jack, so...

I'm using this amp with guitars that have high output pickups. However, even if you use it with not so powerfull pickups, you should definitely be able to get enough gain. I never have any of my gain controls maxxed out even though I can go from SRV to Zakk Wylde. However, I get enough gain to play from SRV to Pantera. So, even you don't have very powerfull pickups, you should be fine. That said, let me now describe each channel.
Clean - Very clean. It can be very glassy and crisp or a little smoother and sweet using some of the switches described earlier. You can either get this channel to break up a little if you max out its gain control.
Crunch 1 - This is the channel to play blues (think of SRV, Stones etc...)
Crunch 2 - A lot of gain here already. You can go from Eric Johnson to Van Halen, depending on how much gain you dial and by further using the Rough/Smooth switches described earlier and the basic EQ (obviously)
Lead - High Gain mayhem. Well, if you use the tonal switches, Eq controls and Gain levels, you can go from Yngwie, Vai, Zakk Wylde or any other "Gain Maniac" you can think of. This channel has the widest tonal caracter of all. It's amazing how much the controls can affect your tone. You can have a very tight, early Metallica, type of bottom end or a "looser" or "buttery" feel depending on how you EQ it and use the Rough/Smooth switch.
The only thing that I can criticize the Savage 120 in terms of sounds is that even though the High Gain sounds have a lot less noise than mass-produced amps such as Marshalls, Mesas or Peaveys, it's a bit more noisy than my Bogners. I own both a Bogner Ecstasy and a Uberschall.
However, the most important point here is that the quality and tonal range of distortions and overdrives in this amp are just AMAZING. Further, don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that the amp is noisy at all. It's very quiet in most VERY high-gain situations. It's just not the quietest that my ears have heard, that's all. Thus, I'm not even taking any points off. This amp is such a FANTASTIC value for the price that it deserves a 10!!

Can't say much here yet. However, it's German, so...

They don't have lot of service centers in the US yet. Thats' why I'll take a point off here. However, they're gonna grow in this country because they're building serious amps!! The people that I dealt with so far were very friendly and helpful.

Endless tonal possibilities. AMAZING sound quality. This is a boutique amp at a fantastic price. Is it as good as my Bogners? Well, not sure here yet. However, the value that you get here is just ridiculous. By spending $2,300 you can get the midi interface and midi controller and switch all channels, Rough/Smooth caracter(tone switches) Master level controls and Presence controls. I basically bought this amp to use it live so that I could keep my Bogners at home for recording only. I gotta tell that not only it does the job live very well but also it will certainly appear in my recordings. What else can I say? Buy this BEAST, experiment with the controls and you'll be a HAPPY man!!
I have or at least have tried every amp that you can imagine. This amp smokes all the mass-production crappy amps and you only pay a little more than an overpriced multi-channel, big name, such as a Marshall TSL 100 or Mesa Triple Rectifier.
Buy it!!

Kickass 120W 4channel true full tube head, built in 1996. For features check the ENGL website, I don't want to list them all.

My guitars are two Gibson SG's, one SG'90 (DiMarzio PAFpro Bridge, splittable Fast Track1 neck) and one SG Special with stock PU's. I play mostly modern, melodic,innovative and versatile hard music (some sort of new metal), and I need all the 4 channels this amp provides. In fact this amp can deliver any gain grade you wish to have, its capable of brutal metal distortion, shimmering clean sounds, vintage- like blues crunch or sweet, middly medium gain crunch. But the coolest thing is: the amp doesn't want to sound like a Fender or Marshall or Boogie or Soldano or something else, it's got its own character and that is why it differs from all other hitech tube amps I know. The distortion is definetely not as harsh as one is used to from Marshall amps, it is much more harmonic and fine structured, thats what I like most of the overdrive channels. The tube-buffered FX loop causes no sound loss at all, switching is quiet (I didnt know it could get THAT quiet with relais switching) and hiss is more than tolerable even at highest gain settings. Plus the filtered and balanced D.I. output can easily compete with the digitally modelled speaker sounds from POD, J-Station, V-amp and Co. Yes, it is really THAT good! Its premium sound quality causes me of thinking about leaving miking in live situations.
Together with my real good Rathamp TW412 cabinet (see review) this is BY FAR the best sounding setup I ever had and ever played !

No problems so far, I've only had it for about 6 weeks. But as I played an ENGL Blackmore tubehead (also see my reviews) for the two years before, I know I will surely be able to rely on the Savage120.

I've contacted ENGL several times via email and the ENGL amp designer himself always answered fully and gave very helpful hints to my problems, no matter what it was.

Best amp so far, and i dont know which one could be better for the price, which is reasonable for the offered quality. I dont like to pay 5000DEM for a Rectifier as i know that it won't match my tastes. For me it is THE amp, nothing misses, most of the features are steadily in use.

This amp was made in 2001. The most versatile amp that I've used. Even though it's very complexed, it's very user friendly. It has 4 channels consisting of Clean, Crunch 1, Crunch 2, and Lead. It is controled by an Engl MIDI foot switching system. A Rough/Smooth mode generates 2 completely different types of overdrive. This feature plus the 4 channels enables you to access 6 individual sound modes. The amps 2 voicing sections and 2 master volumes are both practical and effective. The amp features a number of signal paths. A passive parallel FX loop for each main channel, or a switchable master FX loop, a variable balanced line out featuring speaker simulation, an overload LED, 4,8, or 16 ohms speaker outputs.Superior craftsmanship and quality components. As you would expect from German engineering and technology.

The guitars I use vary. A stock 1968 Gibson Les Paul with soapbar pickups. A 1978 Gibson Les Paul with DiMarzio pickups, specifically a super distortion at the bridge and a fred at the neck. Fender Stratocasters equipped with DiMarzio Tone Zones at the Bridge and Fast Tracks at the neck position. A stock Gibson Firebird, and various Ibanezes all with Dimarzio Tone Zones and Fast Tracks. I own Fender, Ampeg, Mesa Boogie, and Peavey amps. The Engle is capable of getting the sound characteristics of all these amps and more. And while most of these amps that I mentioned owning and most other amps are one dimentional and do one thing well, the Engle is capable of sounding how ever I need it to sound and is just an amazing amp. I can get Fender Twin clean tones and the distortion sounds range from Marshall plexis, JTM, JMP, JCM, TSL to Mesa Boogie and Soldano type distortion. And yet it also can have it's own voice and personality. It's like owning a huge amp collection in one amp. Imentioned the Fender clean sounds. I am also able to get Larry Carlton/Steve Lukather jazz distortions, Stevie Ray/Robin Trower blues Distortions, ACDC AND 70'S metal. Iron Maiden/ Judas Priest distortions to Metallica/Pantera distotions with the push of a button. It has a mid scoop that takes you between these 2 metal type distortions with 1 finger. It's amazingly quiet even at the highst gain settings. And more gain than I ever thought could possibly exist in one amp. The clean sound is amazing and the distortion can crush bones. After playing guitar for 25 years, 19 years professionally as a recording artist and instructor, I can honestly say that this amp is what I've heard in my head but didn't exist until now.

I've had no problems what so ever from this amp. It's amazing.

These amps are made in Germany, but they were smart enough to have a U.S. REP based in California named Jacques Isler who is beyond considerate and has a great knowledge of the Engl. He's always taken my calls or called back the same day. Outstanding support. Second to none. Jacques can be reached at 818-610-2896

As stated earlier, Ive been playing for 25 years and have a massive collection of guitars and amps. Hands down more versatile than any amp that I own. It's like having an amp collection in one amp, because it is capable of producing so many sounds. Hands down the best clean channel of any amplfier that can produce this much gain. The 4 channels make it like having a Fender, Marshall, and Mesa Boogie all in one amp, and still has it's ownpersonality.

This amp is as versatile as it gets, but if you like a simple straightforward amp, you should try another Engl with less features as there a lot of different options on this one. It has 4 channels (2 channels with each 2 gain controls) with very sensitive equalizer settings and other buttons (I don't know names from the top of my head) to shape the sound, two effects loops with dry/wet mix, two master controls (very cool if you need a volume boost for leads), two presence controls, a direct out and probably some stuff I forgot right now. I only wish they had built in the midi interface, because now I'll have to buy an external midi interface (wich I will in the near future) this is the only minus, otherwise I would have given it a 10.

This amp is incredible, what I had been looking for for years.
I always wanted an amp that sounded great clean and distorded, without any effects. And this is the one!
I play anything from dire straits to testament and this baby covers everything. I use a Vigier with a floyd rose and seymour duncan PU's, an Ibanez rg760 with Dimarzio's and an Ibanez rg7620.
With this amp you can tell how good (or crap!!) your pickups really are. People who say this amp is noisy in high gain should try cranking up a 5150 HAHAHAHAHA. Clean this amp is very quiet.
With my guitars and Engl standard 412 cab I can get sounds from Dire straits to Santana from Dream Theatre to Slayer.
Unlike amps like 5150 and Marshall, Engl kan be tuned to fit anyones style, if you'll take the time there are a lot of knobs.
As for the distortion: You wanna know what brutal is?
This amp is as brutal as is gets without getting muddy like a rectifier. Just dial bass 8-10 mid 0-2 treble 4-5 and presence 8-9, and there you have the most brutal, but very defined distortion known to mankind. There is no better sounding all-in-one-amp for the allround demanding guitarist! I'll bet my balls on that!!!!!

Never broke down or anything, but It's just 6 months old.
I would use it without backup, because this thing is built like a tank. I'll give it a 9 because I don't haven't had it for a long time.

Never dealt with the company myself.
A friend of mine bought one and it broke down the next day, manufacturing error. Was replaced by a brand new one, one week later, no hassle! Great service!

I've been playing for 10 years now, and owned or heard just about any amp available in holland, this is the best by far. I was fond of 5150, but the lack of options and the noise made me search for something better, the SAVAGE 120.
If it were stolen I would kill the bastard and after I get out of jail I would save up for a new one, this is the only amp that meets my demands; tone, gain (lots!), versatility and attitude. This amp is also the best looking amp out there check it out! with this amp combined with the Engl standard 412 cab, I dare to take on anyone, because I have the best sound available, without bullshit effects, external pedals, pre-amps or active pickups (yuchhhhh!) to artificially enhance the tone. This is the best, and that's the bottom line

See my previous review with "more to come" in all fields except this one.

Continuing my evaluation of the savage 120:
My guitar is an Ibanez SC420 with stock pickups. I use no FX, just plug and play and it sounds great. When I got my Ibanez, it enhanced the sound of my crappy Crate. When I got the Engl, I was blown away by how great it sounds in every channel, but over time I've realized some of the poor characteristics/weaknesses of my guitar and will be replacing the pickups as I feel my guitar is now the weakest link in the chain (besides me :).)
I'm running the amp through a Mesa Recto Cab and I think they complement eachother quite well. I first tried the Engl through an Engl cab and it sounded great, but I didn't have a chance to evaluate it anymore with the Engl head/cab setup. I purchased the Recto simply because I thought it was one of the best cabs available. I liked it more than the Bogner cabs too. I may eventually look into getting an Engl cab with V60's just for some variety.
I'm in a 3-piece band that plays a progressive/classic rock mix, mostly originals. Therefore, being the only guitarist, I was looking for a versatile amp, preferably 3 channels, that could get a great glassy clean as well as high gain heaven and everything in between. I also wanted something that sounded unique. I tried the 3-channel Rectifiers, Mesa MKIV, several Riveras [not the Knucklehead though:(] Soldano Decatone, Bogner Ecstacy, Hughes and Kettner Duotone, Marshall TSL, and more. All of these amps offered great things, but nothing in one complete package like the Engl. A breakdown of each channel:
Clean - The most surprising channel on this amp. I wasn't expecting a great clean tone, but the more I played, the more I fell in love with this channel. It doesn't have a glassy clean (I felt the MKIV and the Soldano had the glassiest cleans) but rather a very warm tone that is tight and punchy. You can play insanely loud without an ounce of breakup if you keep the gain below 3 and it will sound nice and soft. You can add some meat to it with the occasional breakup when playing hard with the gain a bit higher. Or you can get a great mild, yet distinct, breakup with the gain past 12 o'clock. Unlimited variety since you can tweak master, volume and gain. Sounds great with my friend's Tele as well. The Rectifiers clean channel doesn't stand a chance against the Engl's. Not even close. I felt that the Riveras and MKIV are the only amps with a clean channel that can compete with the Engl's.
Crunch 1 - Great channel! Dirty rhythms or blues leads sound phenominal with this channel. It can be bright and spanky or dark and muddy and is really responsive to your pick attack. A little more tweaking can be done on this channel because the master, volume, clean gain, and crunch1 gain all influence this channel. If you can sacrifice a crystal clean channel, the clean gain can be cranked for a little more of a low-end bite. If you keep the clean gain low and crank the crunch1 gain you get more of a dirty crunch (but very pleasing!!). I even experimented and cranked the clean and crunch1 gains, went to dropped "D" tuning and, honestly, I was able to keep up with the metal heads. Can you say versatility? :)
Crunch2 - I probably use this channel the least, but only because the other 3 channels kick so much ass! This channel is great for distorted chords because it is extremely clear and distinct, despite the ability to go from light crunch to all out distortion assault. The only part where it may lack anything is for heavy palm muting. It's a bit too thin for that. This distortion is more of a buzzy type, but not fuzzy necessarily. I'd compare it to a Mesa Nomad distortion (don't remember which channel/mode specifically, but the mid-high gain sound) except the Engl's isn't CRAPPY like the Nomad. Again, it sounds great, but has that kind of characteristic. In the smooth mode, with the pronounced mids, you can get sort of a Collective Soul sound, minus the FX, and with single coils you

This head is heavy and solid and was bounced around tours by a guitarist (well his tech)in a relatively well-known/famous band that shall remain nameless. When I bought it from him he made no complaints about the reliability over his 6 years of ownership and it was clearly beat up a bit externally. My tech says the circutry is top-notch/very well-made and I trust his opinion. I had a loud "popping" problem when switching channels when I first got it and all it was was a loose light bulb (the head is backlit with two bulbs, looks SWEET in the dark.) A tube amp is a tube amp so you always should have backup tubes, at least, but one great feature on this amp is that if one tube fails/goes bad, the amp will continue to run at 1/3 power on the remaining good tube. So at least there's a little safety there.

I bought this amp used without a footswitch and being in the States, I'm having a dickens of a time finding a dealer who can contact Engl for me. The one dealer in my area claimed that they moved their U.S. distribution center from New Jersey to Minnesota so they were literally unreachable (no phone numbers worked,etc.) This was a few months ago and I haven't checked back yet, so I hope Engl-USA is settled in now and reachable. I did, however, get some quality help from the forum on the Engl website, so that is a positive. They're a German based company so I don't expect to get quite the same service as someone in Europe, just as someone in Europe might not get the same service from someone like Mesa or Rivera.

I've been playing for almost 13 years now, but just started really getting into gear during the last few years. I knew that I needed versatility and I knew I wanted something unique. This amp was PERFECT for that. It's A LOT easier to use than the MKIV, and almost as versatile (I don't know of any amp that has all the options the MKIV does). When I first tried it, it was very easy to identify which knobs affected which channel's etc. Basically, the layout on the front panel is perfect. Makes complete sense. I love this amp, plan on keeping it forever as it is be a gem in the studio as well as live and I'll look at ANY amp that Engl makes before making a decision on another one. I don't give 10's for anything because there's always something better out there and some amps aren't for everybody, so there needs to be room in case I find something better. But that may take a LONG time,

Made in 1994; 120 Watts; Power Tubes - 2 KT88/6550; Preamp tubes - 6 12AX7/ecc83; 2 Main Channels w/ 2 channels each; 2 masters; 2 presences w/ depth boost; FX loop for each channel or master loop w/ levels; Direct XLR -preamp or poweramp signal;

Main Ch1: Clean - level and gain (main channel gain); Crunch 1 - level and gain; Bass, Mid, High EQ controls; Pushbuttons - Sensitivity (for input level), bright (boost high end), preshape (scooped mid shape), countour (out - boost lower mids; in - boost upper mids, cut lower mids).

Main Channel 2: Crunch 2 - level and gain (main channel gain); Lead - level and gain; Bass, Mid, High EQ controls; High Balance (smooth mode only); Pushbuttons -Lead Boost (boost low end), Contour (same as above), Rough/Smooth (works on both channels. Rough - scooped mid voicing. Smooth - Midrangey voicing, highs cut)

With 4 distinct channels, this amp is extremely versatile for both live and recording purposes. Direct Out is a nice feature, though a little noisy. If one power tube fails, amp will still operate but at approx. 1/3 power.

Could have reverb, 1/2 power switch.

No more time to review, more later...

More to come

More to come

More to come

More to come

made in 1997 i think, i own it half a year now.
5 preamp tubes (ecc83), 2+1 power tubes (kt-88c + ecc83) -> 120w. Basically 2 channels, each with 2 different modes(1: clean + crunch1, 2: crunch2 + lead), makes 4 channels + 2 independent master volumes w/ presence, so you can choose from 8 different sounds... i think it's hard to top. 3band-eq per main channel, channel 2 has two distortion characteristics (rough/smooth), channel 1 has some switches to tailor the clean sound (bright/preshape/sensitivity), each channel has a contour switch to shift the mid-frequency, deep switch in the mastersection of each channel to boost low frequencies.
two effect loops (loop1 for channel 1, loop2 can be assigned to channel 2 or master), direct-out (xlr), fully midi-controllable via the optional midi interface.
i play brutal death and black metal, so i mainly use the lead channel. up to now i used it only at home, because i currently have no band to play in. i tried to play it loud and it almost destroyed the house ;) it sounds great at every volume imaginable. i can't think of features i miss because it has everything i need (and much more that i don't need). this is a perfect 10.

i play a jackson dr-3 w/ an emg-81 in the bridge position. i use d'addario chromes .011-.052, i tuned down to B or A# (varies). and not to forget, i play this amp through a marshall 1960-VA (280w, celestion vintage-30). as i mentioned i play brutal death and black metal which require a really brutal distortion. i went through all stores, tried lots of amps (marshall, laney, mesa, peavey, line6 etc.) but when i heard this beast the first time, my decision was set. i'm serious, i did not waste my time trying hundred other amps, i wasted my time looking for a used savage 120 in good condition because i couldn't afford a new one. and i didn't regret it, it has the most brutal distortion coming right out of an amp i have ever heard. it distorts heavily at low volumes (below room volume !), when volume is turned up loud i have to reduce gain because then the distortion is too extreme... amazing.
the clean channel distorts slightly when gain is past 10 o'clock, but i think this is caused by the emg-81 delivering a high output. but i don't play clean that often so i don't care.
i'd say this amp is suitable for ALL music styles i can think of... i didn't try it, it's just a feeling because i've not been disappointed by this amp a single time.
back to the distortion, as is said it's as brutal as a distortion can get. i.e. in combination with an eq (boss ge-7 in the loop to suck out the mids ;) i can create any sound i want, i just tried to get that growling sound cannibal corpse have on "gallery of suicide" and i got it just with the use of a small eq. ultra-heavy, lots of bass, buzzing, sawing, simply great. btw, i tried the "normal" marshall 1960-A cabinet at first, but i found it to be too midrangy. the 1960-VA suits this amp very well, it's got more low end and less mids which i think results in a "clearer" tone (engl offers a suiting cabinet for this amp, it's got vintage-30s as well, but it was too pricey for me, again). i'm amazed by this amp everytime i turn it on.

well i didn't play it live or something like that, so i can't jufge it's reliability. so far i've had no problems whatsoever. no wait, i have one problem with the direct out, i don't get a decent sound out of it... but i think it's just me not being able to manage.
this amp has a some kind of failure-circuitry, when one of the two power tubes failes, the amps still works, but with reduced power. there is an LED for each power tube in the back signaling a failure.
but since i didn't play it on the road (i don't think i ever will) i won't give a rating here.

here's the story: i bought it used, without an instruction manual. i visited the web site but i found no manual to download. so i contacted the company via email, asking if there's one available. the chief technician who mainly designed this amp himself answered me (on holidays !), attaching the complete manual to his mail ! i was impressed. i had a small mail exchange with him, asking about some technical details concerning the tubes. he was very helpful and gave all information i wanted plus hints and tips for better sound and playability.

well, when i heard this amp the first time i imediately wanted it. but there was one point that made me stop thinking if it was really worth it: the price. see, i just needed an amp with a very brutal and very good distortion, this amp has 4 channels with great sounds on every channel. i thought it might be oversized for my needs. but i came to the conclusion "what the hell, you love the sound, it's exactly the sound you've always been looking for, so got get it !".
even tough i hardly use the "first" three channels i don't regret buying this amp mainly for it's lead channel. i've only been playing for 3 1/2 years now, so i still have a long way to go... before the engl i owned a marshall vs-8080 (which i sold) combined with a boss metal-zone (which i still own but NEVER have used since i got the engl ;) i will evolve in my playing as well in my musical taste, but i'm sure the engl will suite and support every development i'm going through. and i think this is the best what can be said about a single amp. i love it :) (don't even think about stealing it, i can get VERY aggressive and i promise, i WILL when anyone tries to steal it ;)

Yes, this amp has all the stuff other people are reporting, it's MIDI, and has probably more features than you actually would aspect!
It's versatile enough for most styles, but i'd say the high gain channel it's a bit noisy, and the distortions had something too hard for my style (they tended too much on the metal side), i used to play a type of heavy/hard rock, and this head seemed very fine to me the first time i tried it, then i catched the bad things:

1) The sound sometimes really didn't shine and it wasn't very "understandable" (not muddy, but something of that type!)

2) This head was much less powerful than i'd thought......tried side to side with a Dual Rectifier, the Savage was really put to shame!
It takes my volume to 6 before the sound of the Dual (put to 3 and 1/2..) was covered!!!!!

I used it with a custom shop Strat, and the clean sound was very, very good. The eq on all the channels were really responsive.
The crunch wasn't really that much to talk about, cause it sounded a little fake to me.
The high gain channels (3-4) were good, nothing more, nothing less, but the lead sound had a bit too attack for my style, and it was also very difficult for me to rise from the overall sound of my band.
I really haven't this problem anymore.

Had it for two years, never used it without a backup, and it never had a problem......i'd give 10 if I'd had this head for some more time!

Never dealt with.......

I haved this head for 2 years, then i switched to the Dual Rectifier (you'd not said that?).
This is really a GOOD, GOOD head, only it hasn't the fullness and the richness of harmonics of the Mesa.

This is the mother of all good amps. This amp was made in 1999, in germany. Versitality of this amp is enourmous. I can do everything with this amp that I need to do. This is 4-channel amp and the switching is made thru MIDI or foot controller. there are two effects loop. One for channels 1 and 2, another for 3 and 4. There are no features that I want more. There are no features that I don't need in this amp. I use this amp in everything I do. Channel 1 is extremely clean, channel 2 crunch, channel 3 is plexi-marshall sound and finally channel 4 is the mother of gain. This baby has five ECC83 in preamp on ECC83 in power amp. Power amp has two 6550 tubes.

My main guitar is Fender Yngwie Malmsteen model. The pickups in YM are DiMarzio Hs-3 and two YJM. Does this amp suite my styles, simple answer is that this suites every styles that you can think. I play mostly heavy metal, but I play blues and rock too. This baby is quiet baby no hiss and crackles. This amp has very clean channel and very brutal distortion channel. Im happy, wouldn't you be if you had this amp.

Made in Germany, this is my answer. Made like rock, for centuries.

No haven's dealt with company.

Well perfect amp from perfect company, need I say more. Check: www.engl-amps.com

This amp is an all tube 120 W head (I don't know the tubes) and so versatile so I don't know where to start a complete decription: It consists of two main channels both with treble, mid and bass. Each main channel has got two gain, master volume and presence controllers (so some people say it's a four channel amp). There are switches on the front for sensivity, bright, Preshape, Rough/smough overdrive characteristics and several other knobs I never use. The best thing is that you can set the gain of the 4 controllers from total crispy clean over crunchy to hard rock/metal and super high gain distortion all by a footswitch or a MIDI panel. You can even turn up the volume for soli or something by footswitch. There are two fx loops, a speaker simulator d.i. output and several other features. One important thing is that if one tube is out of order the amp will still work correctly, but with lower output. There ar still interesting features to describe but I think: check it out. Only one thing to say: you do need a MIDI-panel or the footswitch. Otherwise you have to switch chanels by hand (shitty while playing...) The MIDI interface is about 200 $ (300 .-DM). Poorly the MIDI-interface is not built in but added as a small box. This is the only feature I don't like.

I use the head with a '69 Marshall cab w/ V25 Celestions. I own a Gibson Les Paul (With a SH4 Jeff Beck at bridge) and a Blade RH4 SSH Strat (swamp ash and rosewood fingerboard). What can I tell you: The amp is incredible. clean souns like a Fender. Crunchy Marshall-like Sounds as well as Lukather-super-high-gain-solo. Every thing is possible. I play it on stage in smaller clubs but also in big venues for 2-3000 people. It's the non-plus ultra live amp. It kills me every time, but mike it, the speaker simulator is bullshit. I played many guitars from Tele over ES 335 and a whole bunch of Fender Strats in the recording studio. The sound is great, but you have to try several poti settings. I play pop/rock on recordings, but I also do hardrock stuff in the sparetime on stage. This amp has got it all. I would give a 10 if the super high gain wouldn't be so noisy. But, hey this is really super high gain so... This amp is really versatile and you can have lots of sound from one head, but it's always an ENGL even if it sometimes sounds like a AC30, Twin reverb or hot-rodded Marshall. And of course it depends on the cab you use. If an AC30 sound is the one and only none would use a Marshall 4x12 cab with an ENGL head, but you can even reach a very similar sound.

I play it since '93 about on about 5 albums and about 300 gigs. The amp never left me alone, but if you have bad current (unstable voltage or something) you might not use MIDI, because you have to switch by hand then.

I, ve never dealt with the company, because the amp was o.K. since date of delivery. I hope I'll never can answer this question

Yes I would buy it again, because it sounds great and it's super versatile. I've played for 15 years yet, and ownede a hot rodded Marshall JCM 800 2203 and a '72 Fender Twin reverb. The Marshall sounded very good for hard rock and metal stuff, but for the most time it didn't work so I sold it. I use the Twin at home and sometimes on smaller stages with a Marshall Guv'nor and of course for recordings But I think the ENGL Savage is so versatile, very dependable and it sounds great on stage as well as in the recording studio. The only thing that decreases the joy is the MIDI interface but I can live with that. Maybe a good technician can solve the problem...

The reason why I write this review is the fact that I think of this amp as one of the most versatile yet most underrated on the market today. This amp is originally a 2 channel amp, but those two channels are separated into different settings. Channel 1: clean and crunch 1 - Channel 2: crunch 2 and lead. This way you have 4 basic sounds that all sound very different (and all have their own volume controls!). Both channels have separate gain controls, which react very well. The second channel also has a lead boost and a mid boost. Both channels have their own tone controls (bass/mid/treble) and the gain channel has an added treble control. The amp also features 2 master volumes and 2 presence knobs which work independet from any channel. In that section there is also a depth boost with each presence knob. Engl offers a midi-interface which I highliy recommend, because it enables you to totally change your sound with one switch on your footcontroller. Example:
- You save midichannel 8 as channel 1/clean, master 2, presence 2, mid boost off and then set the master volume at 6 and the presence at 8
- Then you save midichannel 7 as channel 2/crunch2, master 1, presence 2, mid boost off, lead boost off and then set the master volume at 4 and the presence stays at 8
- Next up is midichannel 6 which might be channel2/lead, master 1, presence 1, mid boost on, lead boost on and presence at 6
If you think about this, you can change from a sparkling bright clean sound to a killer metal sound with just one footswitch and since it is midi controlled you can switch all you effect processors simultaneously with the amp. Another very useful feature are the 2 effect loops: one for the clean channel and one for the gain channel with separate mixing controls for manual dry/wet adjustments. The amp is equipped with a supposedly frequency corrected D.I. out, but I haven`t tried that one and probably never will since I use a SansAmp for direct signals. Another cool feature is the fact that in case of a blown power amp tube the head reduces its wattage, shuts down the blown section and continues working at a lower volume, which enables you to continue playing your gig by simply having your soundengineer adjust the guitar levels at the FOH. There are also LED`s at the back of the amp that signal whenever a tube has blown, so if volume drops you just need to take one look at the back and know if it`s the tube or something different. I`ve only needed this once and it was very helpful. As the name of the amp says this head has 120watts and can be extremely loud. I play it through a 4x12 Marshall 30th Anniversary cabinet and you can blow your brains out if you crank it up to 9 (never tried 10!!). I usually run it at about 3 or 4 cause I prefer lower volumes (3 is still way above room volume!). Due to this power you can use that amp virtually everywhere. It sounds great in you bedroom, it sounds great in a small club (with no P.A. - that`s where you can really use all those boost knobs to tailor the sound considering the room acoustics) and it sounds great on big festival stages where you can crank it up (and have your pants vibrating!). I truly believe that there is no other head on the market with that much versatility although I don`t use crunch 1 and crunch 2 very often.

I play an Art Of Sound Custom guitar with 2 Seymour Duncan Humbuckers and a single coil. The guitar has a very tricky splitting system, which is too complicated to explain here, but the variety of styles possible is amazing (from gritty high gain crunch to strat to tele to fat bluesy leads and more). I also use a Les Paul Studio Lite. The custom is tuned down to D and the Les Paul is tuned to Dropped C. At home I like to play almost every style, but I generally use the Engl when playing with my band which is some kind of modern groove metal. For this kind of music the Savage is my favorite choice (tried absolutely EVERYTHING that`s available here in Germany, from Boogie to EVH to Bogner Extasy to Hughes & Kettner to Steavens Poundcake to ...), because the gain channel has what I like to call "clear distortion". Of course, if you crank up the two gain controls on the lead channel, you get insane amounts of distortion that remind me of Pantera or maybe even Obituary, but although they have the same crunch the Engl Savage manages to sound a) not muddy and b) a lot warmer and more natural than most other amps. Personally I don+ALQ-t use too much distortion, because I think that less distortion results in a clearer and punchier sound. The gain channel tends to be noise, but compared to most other amps it is pretty silent. Engl have done a good job at keeping the hiss down. I use a Behringer Noisegate however since I still think it is way too noisy. The clean channel is absolutely whisperquiet! This thing is marvelous! You crank it to maximum and the clean channel will NOT distort (unless you crank the crunch control, too). The clean tone is very good in my opinion. Not awesome, but very good and definitely good enough for me (don`t play much clean stuff in my band). As described under "features" the sound-possibilities are almost endless. You need about 2 or 3 weeks of testing to figure out what sounds you really like because every knob has profound effects on the sound and the controls react very well. I don`t like the sound of crunch 2 so much because I think it sounds a little bit like plastic to me. I don`t use crunch 1 too often, because that`s more for AC/DC, Bryan Adams-style bands. When I play blues I would rather turn down the volume on my guitar and use the lead channel, but you might get different results with cheaper guitars who don`t sound as good at lower levels. All in all: thousands of sound possibilities, but once you found 2 or 3 great sounds you are likely to stick with them (have done so for about 18 months now!), because those 2 or 3 are very good!

I bought this amp almost immediately after it came out (coincidence!) and my amp head the wrong power amp tubes in it. They blew up after only 2 or 3 hours of playing. Engl recognized the mistake, took the amp and gave me a new one, now with the right tubes. They never used the first tubes again but I was without amp for 3 weeks. Since then I have never had any breakdowns with my amp. I heard of one blown tube when a friend of mine played on a festival outside in the winter, but that`s probably only due to the temperature changes. I have never been without backup at gigs but that`s simply because my setup includes a SansAmp running through a Boogie PowerAmp (which run simultaneously with the Engl), so even if the head would break down, I`d have another one running. Right now I have some trouble with the FX-Loops, since the distortion channel bleeds into the clean FX-Send. This is not really bad sound wise, but I use two completely different chains of effect processors and it causes some minor problems (i.e. even when muting my racktuner, the clean fx-loop gets some of the distorted signal and you can hear the tuning on stage). All in all the amp is very rugged and has taken its fair share of hits, so I can+ALQ-t complain about it`s reliability. Other than the mistake in tube-choice in the very beginning, I`ve had no problems in 3 years! I would however never play a gig without backup since according to Murphy`s Law as soon as you leave your backup at home, the amp will break down!

I have never dealt with Engl myself because my guitar store has done everything for me so far.

I use a pretty big setup with a splitter that runs my signal a) through the Engl head and then through my rack (with denoiser, tuner, compressor and fx-processor) and b) through a SansAmp-Boogie PowerAmp combination. If possible I use two Marshall 30th Anniversary 4x12 cabinets which I mike with two Sennheiser BF504 mics (for each cab) and send one signal directly from the SansAmp to the board so that our mixer has 5 guitar signals to blend (this is only a very short explanation of my setup). If I`d buy this amp again? Yes, I would, because if you take into consideration the reliability (3 years without any problems, while playing and moving it almost every weekend) and the great tones you can get out of it after you spent some time working with it there is really no match. I have another hot rodded Marshall JCM 800 at home, which I believe is the best amp ever built, but that`s due to the fact that the guy who hot rodded it is a genius. The Marshall is a lot less reliable and prone to break down easily so I only use it for recording purposes. The thing I like about the Engl is the midi-option and the exterior design (it has lights the illuminate the tubes, which makes them "glow" in the dark). As stated above I+ALQ-ve tried almost every other amp on the market and to me the distorted sounds on this amp are the best you can possibly get for heavy music from any "regular" amp (not customized).