I've gigged my Savage 120 MKII for a couple years now, prob about 100 shows and every night I get gtr players coming up to me saying, 'Sounds amazing! I thought Engl's were only a metal amp?!' They certainly can be metal, but they do an INCREDIBLE British style 70's/80''s/90's style rock sound too. I don't run my Savage metal AT ALL and it slays every night. It's actually really easy to get a great sound. You have all the flexibility you could want but at it's core just pick a chan and dial in the gain and EQ for the guitar, room and the style and it's all there. Love, love, love my Engl. This Special Edition sounds glorious! WANT!
Same experience here, my Powerball MK.1 can basically handle any guitar driven genre. It's practically Impossible to mess Up its output without abusing external gadgets. Love it.
I love it so much. I nearly cried putting the prototype they sent me back in the box to send back to ENGL! But I should have one next year to do a dankload of videos with. ENGL is the BEST. 🤘🏻
Thank you for this Unbelievable Review and Demo of this Amp. I've been Playing Engl for the Last 25 Years, and still Satisfied of them. Now that Amp is Crazy-Cool Packed with features.....Love it. This is my next on My Bucketlist, Thank you for your Work and Effort, Love your Channel. All The Best from Germany. :)..;)
Thanks for the awesome reviews, John! Your amp demos are always the best sounding ones I've seen on TH-cam. I just pulled the trigger on a new Engl SEFE with 6L6's, and your videos are definitely the reason.
Whenever I hear an ENGL it really reminds me of some of my Diezel’s like the VH4 and VHX. Is that a safe assumption? Are they very similar to diesels? Great review dude and great amp.
This amp is perfect for lower tunings and stays super tight and doesn’t need an OD. The baritone, 7 string, and 8 string tones were the best! Wish I had a need or could afford one of these so I’ll just keep coming to your channel to listen to the riffs you make! Also need to get some more KSR stuff on the channel!
This amp is so special, he is making a second video. I would have bought this amp instead of the Redseven I purchased in August. But, when I contacted Engl before I bought the Redseven, I asked Engl if they were going to make a new Special Edition. They said to me that they didn't know if or when they were ever going to make a new Special Edition! Why did they not tell me that a new one will be available in October?! I would have bought one.
I've owned the rack edition since 2010 (570 preamp + 850/100 power amp). Absolutely same class as Soldano, Bogner and Mesa flagships. You can dial anything from blues to death and everything in between. All knobs at 12 o' clock on classic mode (preamp master adjusted at safe levels) will give lush sonics for rock stuff. Crunch channel is the best alongside Bogner. Clean Channel is wonderful. All channels overlap exceptionally. It also blends very well with low output PAF and P-90 pickups. By the way stock power tubes were premium, better than TAD premium selected octet tube set for this rack system. Most intuitive review on Engl Special Edition as far as I'm aware of.
Thank you for demonstrating the clean channel. I have a Super Kraken. Monster high gain channel. But I almost never play metal. I use the crunch or slightly broken up the most.
I have Engl S.E. but the old version. To be honest, it kicks all the Boogies that I have! Yes, you can tell me they are different blabla, again the S.E. is my favorite among all the amps in my collection! 🔥🔥👌
Outstanding review as usual. I always wish that high-end amps had a dedicated FX loop for the Clean Channel. Chorus and Reverb are usually on the Clean Channel full time for many players. High Gain channels usually use different settings on pedals IMHO
I revisit your video from 5 months ago featuring the savage 120 mkii and I’m afraid I love its metal sound. It’s a monster. This is not as “dark” as the savage.
All the guitars sound fantastic through this thing, but I have a soft spot for that Phoenix with what i assume are Phat Cats? Love the riff diversity to show off the various capabilities of this monster. Killer video!
I'm very happy with the OG Special Edition that I had for over 10 years now. Kinda curious what's different between the FE and the OG version. I see that they left out the speaker cab testing function, low/high power option, cabinet switching, other than that it's very similar imho. The OG also had metal dome knobs at the back, which is pretty cool imho too ;) Killer amp, for sure!
With the 8-string Ibanez, the amp really did all the heavy lifting. 😂 With any non-ENGL amp, you would have needed to use your active-pickup 8 strings (Schecter Damien or that purple burst Ibanez). In general, I haven’t heard a lot of good-sounding Ibanez guitars - they play well and fast, and their bridges wipe the floor with original Floyd Roses. But they often seem to save money on the pickups, and the bolt-on necks.
Hi Jon 👋 Excellent Excellent Demo! I gotta ask, does this amp sound closer to the in your face Fireball 100? or The Savage MKII 100? To me, it sounds closer to the Fireball 100, but maybe you have a different take on the overall sound... 🤔
Drop Ab with passive pickups sounded muddy to me. Either turn down the gain on that one, or leave out the depth boost / mega low punch - or use active pickups for such lows. The purple guitar with the active pickups sounded nice and defined to me. Good to know, since I’m primarily using guitars with active pickups, and was always worried that ENGLs might sound better with passive than with active pickups. Because ENGL amps already do a lot of that “clearing up the distortion” that most other amps can’t do, which pushes players of other amps, like Marshall or Mesa, towards active pickups. Then, once you own a bunch of guitars with active pickups, of course you wanna keep using them with the ENGLs.
So the question is: Do you really need another allrounder amplifier if you already have an allrounder (such as a Marshall JVM)? Or would you rather go for an ENGL with just one basic sound, but one that’s complementary to the JVM (such as a Powerball II, Ironball SE, or Fireball)?
Engl amps always deliver, period. My Powerball mk.1 is my main amp for 18 years now, it never failed in the slightest way, it's been on stage for 150+ gigs, endless hours of rehearsal, and it went on several recordings. It's nice to see those guys don't get lazy and still manage to push things further up the hill. Best and absolute no-brainer 1st choice for me.
No it's not better than my Amp's... hahaha because I have 1, "original" 670SE EL34 (blue led's & power switch) and 1, 670SE 6L6 (red led's & power switch) .. the only differences I see so far is the ultra bright switch in channel 1&2 section is now a mid boost (i'd say thats a more usable switch) and on channel 3&4 instead of contour its called active contour. ( I suppose they could have changed the voicing a bit? But from what I've seen so far it sounds very similar) Further on the back it looks like they got rid of the cable and ohm tester (my favorite addition i've ever seen on an amp, simply genius!) and where the speakers outs are there is a 3 position selector 4,8 or 16 ohm and separate outputs (a and b). Pro video man!
There are a couple of non major differences (that you can find with google or reading Yt comments), and these are not worth buying the new amp if you already have the older one imo.
Is it too early in the morning for the stank face that comes from these heavy riffs? Yes. Am I going to replay the shit of of these heavy riffs until my coffee cools? Also yes. \ m /
Hi, John! Which pickups are you using on that Gibson? Could you recommend me a pair of Seymour Duncan pickups for great metal sounds which can do cleans as well?
@@SonicDriveStudio I've invested a considerable amount based on your evaluations over the years. Your videos are not only enjoyable, but super helpful regarding one's preferences. Thank you!
Very nice. The original Special Edition was a favourite of mine on account of its versatility. You mentioned that it’s your favourite ENGL and among your top three favourite amps. If you don’t mind my asking, which are the other two?
Very cool amp! But it has too many option for me personally. I have a JCM2000DSL and it has 2 channels with 2 modes each. I only use the green channel, literally never touch the red channel cuz I don't like it as much. It's like Euge Valovirta said something along these lines in a video. I don't need a hundred sounds, I just need the good sound. Nice video!
I have this amp and the KSR gemini. Both are amazing, but quite different. The most notable difference is the KSR is substantially darker and smoother. The Engl has a lot more high end sizzle. Mids feel like they are positioned higher than on the engl. If I could only keep one, I’d keep the Engl.
Could have been cool but it probably would have made the amp too complex. The Ironball se is a cool all in one package and it works because it's so compact
I love my Ironball SE I bought in part from seeing on this channel. It took me a long time to figure out how to dial it in to sound good to me. It has plenty of gain but it saturates so differently compared to 5150 type amps. Very underrated cleans also.
It sounds more refined and the range of useful tones is bigger. All of the switches are musical and 2 lead channels is better than 2 crunch channels imho
I like your videos very much, i often agree with you, but this time i would like to disagree...😁 This amp, like all Engl amps, is really very good and incredibly versatile. But...for me, there is currently only one undisputed champion in the hard rock/metal sector. You introduced it some time ago, it comes from the same company and is called Savage MK 2. I own the Savage myself, i had the E670E as a test until recently. In a direct comparison, i think the Savage has the edge in terms of definition, tightness, and overall sound and sounds comparatively less muddy and brittle. The E670 sounds somehow more covered, but on the other hand is a little more versatile than the Savage. In my opinion you can also hear that in your videos if you compare them. Both amps are awesome, but for me the Savage is clearly the king in the Hard'n Heavy range. Of course, there is no better or worse in this class and this is just only my humble opinion.
This THE video you need to watch if you are spec'ing out this amp for yourself or if you just love hearing killer riffs and tones! Great video!!
Thanks a lot Dan!
I've gigged my Savage 120 MKII for a couple years now, prob about 100 shows and every night I get gtr players coming up to me saying, 'Sounds amazing! I thought Engl's were only a metal amp?!' They certainly can be metal, but they do an INCREDIBLE British style 70's/80''s/90's style rock sound too. I don't run my Savage metal AT ALL and it slays every night. It's actually really easy to get a great sound. You have all the flexibility you could want but at it's core just pick a chan and dial in the gain and EQ for the guitar, room and the style and it's all there. Love, love, love my Engl. This Special Edition sounds glorious! WANT!
Same experience here, my Powerball MK.1 can basically handle any guitar driven genre. It's practically Impossible to mess Up its output without abusing external gadgets. Love it.
The amount of gain with clarity is amazing
Sounded great. Excellent clarity, note separation, tones, and playing.
I love it so much. I nearly cried putting the prototype they sent me back in the box to send back to ENGL! But I should have one next year to do a dankload of videos with. ENGL is the BEST. 🤘🏻
Preach brother!
Not capable of one bad sound! Thoroughly enjoyed every tone achieved. Dare I say, your best video to date? Sonic bliss.
Cheers mate, I appreciate it!
Best amp reviews on TH-cam by far. All the tones, pickups and speakers you could ask for! Take note people
Thank you for this Unbelievable Review and Demo of this Amp. I've been Playing Engl for the Last 25 Years, and still Satisfied of them. Now that Amp is Crazy-Cool Packed with features.....Love it. This is my next on My Bucketlist, Thank you for your Work and Effort, Love your Channel. All The Best from Germany. :)..;)
Kudos for taking the time to do this. The most in depth review of this amp.
Thanks for the awesome reviews, John! Your amp demos are always the best sounding ones I've seen on TH-cam. I just pulled the trigger on a new Engl SEFE with 6L6's, and your videos are definitely the reason.
Whenever I hear an ENGL it really reminds me of some of my Diezel’s like the VH4 and VHX. Is that a safe assumption? Are they very similar to diesels? Great review dude and great amp.
I would say that the ENGL amps tend to be more articulate and tight sounding
Holy mother of versatility, and damn yeah that's the best ENGL form tone I've heard
incredible toan, so much gear out there and this amp sounds incredible. Great chops
Wow! Perfect video! Best riffs, best sounds, wonderful amp! Your guitar playing was great... and it's clear to see that you're having a lot of fun. 😊🤘
Thank you!
cudos man! your reviews are by far the best (to my liking) here in this yT universe.
I really dig your riffing and style.
keep up the good work man!
Thanks!
Thank you Jon, very useful video and great music! Thanks! ... by the way,,,,I love the amp and the tones you are getting!
Cheers Leo! I appreciate it!
This amp is perfect for lower tunings and stays super tight and doesn’t need an OD. The baritone, 7 string, and 8 string tones were the best! Wish I had a need or could afford one of these so I’ll just keep coming to your channel to listen to the riffs you make! Also need to get some more KSR stuff on the channel!
I 100% agree. I'd love to see him review a Colossus or the Artemis with all the tone shaping options.
Great demo! 👍I appreciate all the work you put in these - very helpful video presentations. 😊
This amp is so special, he is making a second video. I would have bought this amp instead of the Redseven I purchased in August. But, when I contacted Engl before I bought the Redseven, I asked Engl if they were going to make a new Special Edition. They said to me that they didn't know if or when they were ever going to make a new Special Edition! Why did they not tell me that a new one will be available in October?! I would have bought one.
Those amps are freaking ridiculous, so many options!
Great video \m/
This amp‘s sick in every version. Nailed all of these riffs bro! 🎉
Danke Max!
This Amp Rules!
It DOES! :)
I've owned the rack edition since 2010 (570 preamp + 850/100 power amp). Absolutely same class as Soldano, Bogner and Mesa flagships. You can dial anything from blues to death and everything in between. All knobs at 12 o' clock on classic mode (preamp master adjusted at safe levels) will give lush sonics for rock stuff. Crunch channel is the best alongside Bogner. Clean Channel is wonderful. All channels overlap exceptionally. It also blends very well with low output PAF and P-90 pickups. By the way stock power tubes were premium, better than TAD premium selected octet tube set for this rack system. Most intuitive review on Engl Special Edition as far as I'm aware of.
Thank you for demonstrating the clean channel. I have a Super Kraken. Monster high gain channel. But I almost never play metal. I use the crunch or slightly broken up the most.
I have Engl S.E. but the old version. To be honest, it kicks all the Boogies that I have! Yes, you can tell me they are different blabla, again the S.E. is my favorite among all the amps in my collection! 🔥🔥👌
The riffs / songs in this one are unruly. You crushed it. Oh yeah, nice amp too
Thank you!
I love my SE FE either!!
Bedankt voor de review! Ordered one!
Tegek! Enjoy!
Amazing demo of an amazing amp!
Great video as always! Wish they could also send me this amp to test for a tone comparison between this one and my Savage Mk II.
Your channel is amazing. Hope can you reach many more people!
Thank you!
Great Demo and Video as always Jon 😉 The Amp is a real killer Soundbeast
In your hands everything is greatest! So tasty riffs and mix like always
Thank you!
Outstanding review as usual. I always wish that high-end amps had a dedicated FX loop for the Clean Channel. Chorus and Reverb are usually on the Clean Channel full time for many players. High Gain channels usually use different settings on pedals IMHO
With the 3 loops and midi you can completely customize all of that
I revisit your video from 5 months ago featuring the savage 120 mkii and I’m afraid I love its metal sound. It’s a monster. This is not as “dark” as the savage.
I’ve owned both and this is much thicker and darker. Just imo
All the guitars sound fantastic through this thing, but I have a soft spot for that Phoenix with what i assume are Phat Cats?
Love the riff diversity to show off the various capabilities of this monster. Killer video!
Phat Cat the neck, Custom in the bridge
dang it sounds perfect. also the 19:40 tone was sick
Thanks! That Baritone sounds amazing!
Great video, the amp and riffs sound awesome.
Awesome mate, glad you like it. I’ll wait for your Marktplaats Powerball II ad 😂😂😂
Haha! Not selling that!
@@SonicDriveStudio you definitely shouldn’t 🤘🏼It offers something quite different to the other amps in the ENGL line up!
The Powerball is wonderful!
The Powerball is wonderful!
I'm very happy with the OG Special Edition that I had for over 10 years now. Kinda curious what's different between the FE and the OG version. I see that they left out the speaker cab testing function, low/high power option, cabinet switching, other than that it's very similar imho. The OG also had metal dome knobs at the back, which is pretty cool imho too ;) Killer amp, for sure!
Damn, those D-Activators (Lead 1 Passive Baritone Metal) sound freakin' awesome! :-)
Sounds like a nice mix between an ENGL and a Mesa Boogie Dual Rectifier
very great overview ... it will give me an idea what I can do with it.
With the 8-string Ibanez, the amp really did all the heavy lifting. 😂 With any non-ENGL amp, you would have needed to use your active-pickup 8 strings (Schecter Damien or that purple burst Ibanez). In general, I haven’t heard a lot of good-sounding Ibanez guitars - they play well and fast, and their bridges wipe the floor with original Floyd Roses. But they often seem to save money on the pickups, and the bolt-on necks.
Hi Jon 👋 Excellent Excellent Demo! I gotta ask, does this amp sound closer to the in your face Fireball 100? or The Savage MKII 100?
To me, it sounds closer to the Fireball 100, but maybe you have a different take on the overall sound... 🤔
I'll compare them eventually
You never disappoint
Thanks!
Killer tone! Engl roasts even the souls of the demons in the depth of hell.
Aside from the incredible tones of the amp, your stellar chops are a force to be reckoned with
Agreed!
They never miss
Can we have a tonex captures of this badboy? I already have a heavy legends packs. 👉👈😢
I'm the lucky owner of the original one from like 20 years ago ad it's sick af.
It sounds so great!!!
Hey Jon, what would you say the differences are between this and the EL34 version, specifically on the lead channels?
Fantastic sounds. great songs and playing
Cheers!
I so wish someone would compare this new version SE to the original SE!
The string definition engl amps have even with extreme high gain is unbelievable.
Great video man
Drop Ab with passive pickups sounded muddy to me. Either turn down the gain on that one, or leave out the depth boost / mega low punch - or use active pickups for such lows. The purple guitar with the active pickups sounded nice and defined to me.
Good to know, since I’m primarily using guitars with active pickups, and was always worried that ENGLs might sound better with passive than with active pickups. Because ENGL amps already do a lot of that “clearing up the distortion” that most other amps can’t do, which pushes players of other amps, like Marshall or Mesa, towards active pickups. Then, once you own a bunch of guitars with active pickups, of course you wanna keep using them with the ENGLs.
So the question is: Do you really need another allrounder amplifier if you already have an allrounder (such as a Marshall JVM)? Or would you rather go for an ENGL with just one basic sound, but one that’s complementary to the JVM (such as a Powerball II, Ironball SE, or Fireball)?
Engl amps always deliver, period. My Powerball mk.1 is my main amp for 18 years now, it never failed in the slightest way, it's been on stage for 150+ gigs, endless hours of rehearsal, and it went on several recordings. It's nice to see those guys don't get lazy and still manage to push things further up the hill. Best and absolute no-brainer 1st choice for me.
Some tasty fat rhythm tone on the 7 and 8. I would only need one of the lead channels 😊 Which other amp would come closest in your opinion?
One of the best amp!!
No it's not better than my Amp's... hahaha because I have 1, "original" 670SE EL34 (blue led's & power switch) and 1, 670SE 6L6 (red led's & power switch) .. the only differences I see so far is the ultra bright switch in channel 1&2 section is now a mid boost (i'd say thats a more usable switch) and on channel 3&4 instead of contour its called active contour. ( I suppose they could have changed the voicing a bit? But from what I've seen so far it sounds very similar) Further on the back it looks like they got rid of the cable and ohm tester (my favorite addition i've ever seen on an amp, simply genius!) and where the speakers outs are there is a 3 position selector 4,8 or 16 ohm and separate outputs (a and b). Pro video man!
Where can I find your music? The riffs sound crazy good.
sounds great! would be nice to see it compared to your savage mk.2!
I love my original Special Edition, but I'm wondering, would there be any plus to purchasing the Founder's Edition as well?
As they say, more is always better? ;)
@@SonicDriveStudio Lol.
There are a couple of non major differences (that you can find with google or reading Yt comments), and these are not worth buying the new amp if you already have the older one imo.
What are your top 3 amps?
Awesome demo! This amp is amazing.
This, the RedSeven Leviathan and Lichtlaerm Audio Prometheus
Roxanne because it rocks hard man🤘🏻
Is it too early in the morning for the stank face that comes from these heavy riffs? Yes. Am I going to replay the shit of of these heavy riffs until my coffee cools? Also yes. \ m /
Thanks! Glad you're digging the riffs!
Can you compare it to the fireball 100? I'd love to ear that.
Best amp review channel 👌
I'll definitely do that at some point
My god, that amp is absolute perfection!!! I've said it for years, I'll take an engl over marshall, mesa, peavey, any of them!
Great sound!
I love engl!
the intermodulation distortion on this is crazy
5:15 reminds me a lot of Alter Bridge. Tone and the riff.
Hi, John! Which pickups are you using on that Gibson?
Could you recommend me a pair of Seymour Duncan pickups for great metal sounds which can do cleans as well?
These are the stock Gibson pickups. If you like that sound I recommend them. In the standard 60s I have a set of Duncans, JB and 59
@@SonicDriveStudio thanks John! Your channel is amazing. Keep it up!
Thanks!
Wow thank you so much! I really appreciate that!
@@SonicDriveStudio I've invested a considerable amount based on your evaluations over the years. Your videos are not only enjoyable, but super helpful regarding one's preferences. Thank you!
Which version of SEFE has more sizzling highs (specially on clean channel)? 6L6 or EL34?
Very nice. The original Special Edition was a favourite of mine on account of its versatility.
You mentioned that it’s your favourite ENGL and among your top three favourite amps. If you don’t mind my asking, which are the other two?
RedSeven Leviathan and Lichtlaerm Audio Prometheus
@@SonicDriveStudio Excellent choices. I’m personally looking forward to the Prometheus.
Very cool amp! But it has too many option for me personally. I have a JCM2000DSL and it has 2 channels with 2 modes each. I only use the green channel, literally never touch the red channel cuz I don't like it as much. It's like Euge Valovirta said something along these lines in a video. I don't need a hundred sounds, I just need the good sound. Nice video!
sounds great
Thanks!
The perfect amp!
Awesome, I have this amp. I’m wondering about the z-9 footswitch and its program capabilities with this amp.
I have never tried those footswitches because I use the amps in my studio. They seem very solid though...
Thats why i have it ^^ :p. Since 2010.never used anything with this amp but a delay pedal for ma leads.
That's one mad sounding bad baddy! If only I had $4k to spare
What the tuning on that baritone 7 string?
Drop Ab!
It cost $3,899 that is pricey but what this amp has to offer I get the price point. This amp will spank that new PRS MT100.
It's not cheap but there are still plenty of amps out there that cost more, sound less good and have less tonal options
Killer sound
This or Savage 2?
how does this compare to the KSR/Rhodes stuff?
I wouldn't know tbh
I have this amp and the KSR gemini. Both are amazing, but quite different. The most notable difference is the KSR is substantially darker and smoother. The Engl has a lot more high end sizzle. Mids feel like they are positioned higher than on the engl. If I could only keep one, I’d keep the Engl.
I ordered the EL34 version of this amp.. should I have gotten the 6L6 version instead??
They are both fine!
"i bought a Ferrari... should i buy a Porsche instead ?"
:)
I need an Engl again it’s been too long
I think you're right
Roxanne? Clearly because you are a huge police fan and loved Sting's solo work from the mid 80s onward
Obviously
I really wish it had the features of the Ironball SE with this amp, it could maybe be "the" amp for me.
Could have been cool but it probably would have made the amp too complex. The Ironball se is a cool all in one package and it works because it's so compact
I love my Ironball SE I bought in part from seeing on this channel. It took me a long time to figure out how to dial it in to sound good to me. It has plenty of gain but it saturates so differently compared to 5150 type amps. Very underrated cleans also.
@@gaberox1 My SE is out for delivery today.
how does it compare to the savage mk II ?
It sounds more refined and the range of useful tones is bigger. All of the switches are musical and 2 lead channels is better than 2 crunch channels imho
dude i got like 300 knobs on my amp but i still sound bad - tell me which knob to turn!!! xD
ROXAAAAAANNNEE .. Put on the red light! ROXAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAANE Put on the red light... Nice amp!
damn! that schecter sounds amazing Oo
So good!
Roxanne, you don't have to put on the RED LIGHT. I think it would be hard to turn this red light off. 😂
Hahaha!
I like your videos very much, i often agree with you, but this time i would like to disagree...😁
This amp, like all Engl amps, is really very good and incredibly versatile. But...for me, there is currently only one undisputed champion in the hard rock/metal sector. You introduced it some time ago, it comes from the same company and is called Savage MK 2. I own the Savage myself, i had the E670E as a test until recently. In a direct comparison, i think the Savage has the edge in terms of definition, tightness, and overall sound and sounds comparatively less muddy and brittle. The E670 sounds somehow more covered, but on the other hand is a little more versatile than the Savage. In my opinion you can also hear that in your videos if you compare them. Both amps are awesome, but for me the Savage is clearly the king in the Hard'n Heavy range. Of course, there is no better or worse in this class and this is just only my humble opinion.
The Savage is a killer amp for sure!
sounds good, like 99% of your reviews! But hate it, as an amp! I'm more into the Rockerverb simplicity!
The first tones come through and immediately like "Oh yeah!! Give it to me!!!"
Still hate you for it though ;-)
Haha! Love you bro!