My New FAVORITE Amp?! ENGL Powerball II Review & Demo!
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 1 ส.ค. 2024
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Thanks so much for watching my review and demo of the ENGL Powerball II, one of my dream amps! I went ALL OUT with this video and I really hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed making it! If you enjoy it please drop a sub and like as that really helps the channel out! Cheers!
Gear used in this video:
- ENGL Powerball II Tube Amplifier
- Laney Black Country Customs Secret Path Reverb
- ESP LTD Phoenix Deluxe 1000
- ESP LTD Phoenix Black Metal
- Yamaha Revstar Standard RSS20
- Gibson Les Paul Standard
- Gibson Les Paul Custom
- ESP LTD NW-44 Neil Westfall
- ESP LTD SC-607B Stephen Carpenter 7-string baritone
- ESP LTD SC-607B1H Stephen Carpenter 7-string baritone
- Ibanez M80M Meshuggah 8-string baritone
- Schecter Damien Platinum 9 9-string
- York Audio Impulses
- RedSeven Amplification Amp Central
- Steinberg Cubase 12
- Steven Slate Drums 5.5
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Timecodes:
00:00 Intro
00:36 Introduction
01:56 Feature Overview
05:17 Pristine Clean (Yamaha Revstar & Laney BCC Reverb)
07:05 Pristine Clean Isolated Excerpt
08:04 Pushed Clean/Crunch (Gibson Les Paul Custom & Laney Reverb)
09:48 Pushed Clean/Crunch Isolated Excerpt
10:49 Classic Crunch (Gibson Les Paul Standard)
12:32 Classic Crunch Isolated Excerpt
13:26 Heavier Rock Crunch (Gibson Les Paul Custom)
15:20 Heavier Rock Crunch Isolated Excerpt
16:33 Lead (3) Thick High-Gain Rock (ESP LTD Phoenix Deluxe 1000)
18:22 Lead (3) Thick High-Gain Rock Isolated Excerpt
19:46 Lead (3) Heavy Rock/Metal (Gibson Les Paul Custom)
21:24 Lead (3) Heavy Rock/Metal Isolated Excerpt
22:20 Lead (3) Modern 6-String Metal (ESP LTD Phoenix Black Metal)
24:16 Lead (3) Modern 6-String Metal Isolated Excerpt
25:14 Lead (3) Modern 7-String Baritone Metal (ESP LTD SC-607B1H)
27:01 Lead (3) Modern 7-String Baritone Metal Isolated Excerpt
28:03 Lead (4) Chuggy & Tight 6-String Metal (ESP LTD NW-44)
29:55 Lead (4) Chuggy & Tight 6-String Metal Isolated Excerpt
30:49 Lead (4) Brutal 7-String Baritone Metal (ESP LTD SC-607B)
32:28 Lead (4) Brutal 7-String Baritone Metal Isolated Excerpt
33:03 Lead (4) Modern Progressive 8-String Metal (Ibanez M80M)
34:55 Lead (4) Modern Progressive 8-String Metal Isolated Excerpt
35:54 Lead (4) Modern Progressive 9-String Metal (Schecter Damien 9)
37:49 Lead (4) Modern Progressive 9-String Metal Isolated Excerpt
38:23 Conclusion
#engl #powerballii #review
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If anyone still has a chance to catch Symphony X (Michael Romeo) live this tour he is killin it on the road with the Powerball 2’s!!!
So, what do you think? This is probably the most ambitious amp review I ever did... I hope you enjoyed it! Please like, subscribe and share as that really helps me out and it enabled me to do more in the future! Thanks everybody! -Jon
Awesome amp, phenomenal versatility and great to finally hear a metal monster machine that doesn't need a "booster" to tighten the bottom end! About time!
They should have given you the amp for free for the job you did here.
They did, just to clarify. But that doesn't mean that it's easy to make money with a TH-cam channel. I still need y'all's support! :)
I remember being in the studio when Jens Bogren re-amped Symphony X Paradise Lost album. He used the Fireball.
Put heideggerean ontology on capital products try to work something out? That's not what it's for.
Your demo's are the best out there IMO, very in depth, so many different tones and you are a fantastic player too. Keep on keeping on \m/
Phenomenal demonstration, man! \m/
I suspected that you were really going to enjoy this amp, especially in terms of its versatility. It can definitely do it all across the board.
Personally, I would like something with the Fireball and Diavlo baseline voicing (tight and with a range from saturated to dry) but with all the tone shaping options of the Powerball II. I think it could be one of the ultimate ENGL offerings. As of right now, the two ENGL amps that vaguely come close to that design would be the Victor Smolski signature model, which is based off the Powerball II, and perhaps the older ENGL Invader 150.
Great-sounding amp. Your tunes are fantastic, as usual.
As per usual. Great playing, tones and review. Best in the bis. Thanks John 🙏 congrats on the acquisition of the powerball ll
Brilliant review of this beast, Jon! You're spot on in all the different tones. I had the E645/2 for some years as well and loved every minute of it. One of the most versatile and naturally good sounding amps I ever played. Before I had an E670 for years but the E645/2 beats it by far. Also the many additional options that this amp offers makes it even better, including the very effective noisegate. The only thing I hated at it was the price. ;) Rock on, mate!
Thanks mate!
Great Review!!
UUuuuhhh the full gain on the CRN Ch. hits so nasty hard. So roaring and throaty.
And the High Gain Tones were absolutely killer as expected.
I didn't even know that the CLN Ch. is that good on these beasts.
This thing knows pretty much every trick in the book.
Such an awesome piece of gear.
Cheers!
Thanks and yeah man, it's A-MAZING!
Killer review. I ordered one after watching this video.
This is my dream rig too. I played one in the glass room at a Guitar Center. I couldn't believe how pristine the clean channel is with forever sustain on the distortion channel. I wanted to cry because playing it was like a spiritual experience no lie!
love it Jon! It can be a bit daunting for us beginners with all the settings but you can pretty much get any sound you want out of this amp from jangly cleans to brutal riffs.
love the red ambient lighting on the amp rack
I was thinking of getting the Engl Powerball Synergy Module and this video helped me make my decision!
i just walked out the store with one of those amps yesterday, it's absoluely awesome! I always wanted an engl amp since i started playing guitar 16 years ago and now i finally own one and its absoluely awesome! I've been using powerball captures for some time now but having the actuall one is definetly a huge upgrade and i am unbelievably happy to have this beast at home now!
Thanks for your in depth review it helped me a lot dialing in the tones i wanted!
Awesome! Enjoy!
It’s one of my favorite too🔥. Just like you said ,this amplifier’s clean tone channel has very dynamic sounds. Usually I prefer use this one for my clean guitar rather than others. It’s appropriate in all of your sounds
Incredible amp and fantastic demo again Jon! Just a shame that this amp has restricted switching - what I find with all Engl amps, but I guess that's what the MIDI amps like the Savage are for !
Incredible amp, incredible review!
Awesome review mate as usual. I loved the Revstar at the start too.
That clean channel reminds me of my Grandmeister Deluxe 40.
Might have to save up for this amp
Greetings from NZ 😎👠🤘🎸
We were one string away from a full piano review lol. Awesome review of one of the best amps ever made
This really makes me want to get a Powerball 2, even though I already own a Savage 120, Invader 100 and Victor Smolski Signature :D Great video as always!
That's a great tone. You have awesome riffs.
Awesome sound test, with all that guitars
Thanks for the multiple tests with EMGs! I remember being impressed by the Powerball II, but I was playing it with passive pickups. Since I ultimately went with the Marshall JVM, I found myself pushed towards guitars with EMGs over the years. Now that I have multiple of them, of course it was vital for me to know that the Powerball II does actually still sound good with EMGs, too.
Great video as always!!
This amp covers a lot of ground; definitely did not expect it to be so versatile! Great review and sick riffs!
Cheers!
I toured with this amp for a while, and had so many compliments, even from some big artists lol. ENGL is the truth, and glad to see you doing them justice. Cheers!
Engl's are truly top notch german panther tanks! Great review, great amp.
tackles so many styles effortlessly!
great review man! always wanted one of these, that clean tone reminds me of the Carvin Legacy's, got to play one with Gran Hechicero it was awesome, but I wasn't the biggest fan of the dirt channel, this is the best of both worlds! thank for the in depth review!
Thanks!
Love this amp. Best review here
One of the best amps ever made. And you dit justice. I only tried the old version of it and an Invader which is also a beast. Similar to the powerball but with EL34’s.
I've had this amp since 2015...Freakin Great amp...it even changes character with different speaker and cab combos. I have a Z-9 footswitch and I programmed the mid boost on/off on it so i can use it live on the fly. I own this amp alongside other metal amps too (ENGL invader w/wizard module, Diezel D-Moll, Mesa Badlander 100) it definitely has it's place in both our studio and live set.
Which amp do you prefer this or the invader?
@@gazzaduce3424 It's tough to say. The Invader is more loose bottom end and more massive sounding. The powerball is not as loose but less massive. I do prefer the invader's tone for myself, but my Invader has the Wizard module which allows me to get what I want out of it. I also like the midi control of the invader as well. I definitely see why some would like the powerball better. I really can't decide which...so that's why I own both.
Killer!
Just ordered one of those for the studio! :)
I love this amp too it’s got that nice mid range growl going on ,power chord heaven
Yeah man, it's awesome! Do you have one?
@@SonicDriveStudio no I’ve had my eye on one a while now only heard one briefly,I had the pb1 but the newer Engls are way more punchy
I've had bunch of amps through the years. Started with a Randall, then a Diezel, Peavey and Mesa dual recto in the end before I bought the Engl Powerball II. I went to the Musicstore in Cologne, Germany (I'm lucky my brother lives just 200 meters away from that store) and I tried my next amp, so I decided on the Powerball 2 instead of the Engl Savage or Fireball. I'm not going back to any of those amps I had before and I sold them after I heard the way the Powerball 2 bites through the mix in a way just how I like it. I've also found something very interesting, which maybe you Jon would like to try someday. A Mesa Boogie dual rectifier left guitar and Engl Powerball 2 right guitar with around 70% pan on each sides for each guitar. The amps are leveled to sound in a similar way and I must tell that the sound is unprecedented.
Sounds sick!! Amazing review, loved the way you structured it with reviewing each channel but also multiple sounds per channel, super helpful to get a feel for the capabilities!
How would you say this amp compares in terms of sound and capabilities to the Savage 120 MK2 and Fireball 100? If you've had the chance to test them I mean.
I LOVE my FB100 and I still need to compare them but they definitely do similar things. Never tried a Savage though
Powerball II has been my favourite Engl for years. And I’ve tested or owned them all.
Jesus! You earned a sub from me for sure. What a great sound your putting through you tube. What ever you are doing dont stop. lol. Im going to sell my house now and buy this damn amp!
Wow it sounds amazing
This sounds really great, well done! Definitely will consider a Powerball-2 when I need (want? lol) a new amp!
I am however partial to the lunchbox variants for the weight and size. They never make it easy for you do they 😄
I had this amp for a while, ultimately ended up liking the crunch channel the most (metal tones). I switched to Marshalls for a little bit more natural-sounding gain, as the black panel Engl amps tend to sound highly modern. Especially the lead channels sound like there's always a Boss SD-1 in the front, haha.
Really all in one amp, very well in everything
Hell Yeah, bloody good review, bloody good riffs man. Despite a fact I'm a drummer I can tell you that this stuff impressed me... one of the best review channel on YTB
Thanks!
One of my dream amps to have.
Wow this is one of the best amps iv ever heard!!!
I love engl and I would like to see a review of the engl 530 e rack pre on your channel! Maybe with some poweramp simulations etc. Could be very interesting!
Excellent video
I just purchased the most versatile and best sounding amp ever made...and its this one.
Great video man. Always wanted to try an Engl maybe one day I’ll get to. I’m pretty dang happy with my current setup but we already know GAS is too real hahahah
Sub'd! Fantastic demo. My billfold is going to hate me
Love it! I’m looking for the MK2 Savage but always wanted to grab a PB2 after having a Fireball. Wanting a FB25 too. Love my EVH Stealth 50 through my 2-12 Engl pro can with V30s
Hey Jay Longhofer, I am torn between Savage MK2 and Fireball 100. Thoughts?
@@X9Eric I bought and played all of them. If I want a straight forward Savage sound I go with the Blackmore (took me 3 Blackmore to finally give it the respect it deserves and it’s based on the Savage but with 6l6 tubes. I had an artist edition with EL-34s and it was nice but didn’t have the attack of the Blackmore.
Secondly. The Fireball is just a monster. I have dwindled down all my Engl’s to just those two amps (Blackmore and Fireball 100). I love the Savage mk2 but I bought it along with the two mentioned and ended up selling the Savage Mk2. Why? A couple reasons. Side by side comparisons in my studio through my Engl 2-12 with my settings I preferred the Blackmore much more tonally. Also the Blackmore gets where I want to go much faster and cuts like a knife. The Savage does too but it’s just a bit more than I needed in my studio. I got a Z9 foot switch with it too but still ended up selling it. I really preferred channel 2 crunch almost more than the legendary channel 4 on the savage.
I will do a demo of the Blackmore and the Fireball soon. I just moved so I’m still dialing in my studio. I hope this helps. I will probably buy another Savage again but the Blackmore just does everything I need. The Fireball is the only Engl that I would be left with on a desert island if I had to pick. Simple is better. The savage has more options but I found like many have…options can distract or get on the way from my writing/recording process because you are always adjusting to try and find the sweet spot. When I got it to where I wanted…I still preferred the Blackmore and Fireball. Through all my guitars (12). Cheers
I have this amp and cab. It’s got nice features and sturdy. I wouldn’t call it the best out there but I am satisfied over all. My biggest complaint is it is very compressed sounding giving it its “tight” sound but compared to other amps I have it doesn’t have much articulation to it. Playing multiple notes at once can get lost in mix. Chugging is great tho
I'm just here for the riffs 🤘
Damn. What a beast. It can do nearly everything.
Excellent review! It’s the first I’ve seen on this channel and actually the first review of an amp I’ve checked out overall. And it was fantastic, I had a chance to hear so many different sounds you can get out of it. The one (only half-joke) question I guess left unanswered for me: can I get the Metallica “Justice” sound out of it? 😂
Having a Powerball mk1 since 2005 as my main amp, i can agree this amp design can do practically everything once you clicked with the complex control options. The four individual gain controls is one of the few upgrades that I'd actually would want. I think the mk1 can be a little bit more aggressive, but that also strongly depends of the used speakers, which need to be top level to fully unleash the amp. Also, not a single technical issue in 17 years of intense use. It is built like a tank.
So I also have a mk1 that I've had since 2005 (it's actually the 1.2 version, so the upgrade from the original). I'm curious what speakers you're running? I have V30s, but I've heard the 1s benefit more from something like Greenbacks or other speakers. Do you have experience with different speaker use on yours?
@@mikechristy1840 Hi Mike, i recently swapped out one of the V30s in my 2x12 cab for a Jensen Tornado Stealth. Great combo. You get a more balanced midrange, and it smoothens the nasty high mids a healthy bit. I can recommend that.
Im an engl guy as well! Adored my fireball100 to death and think i liked my e530 rack pre even more!
If i could afford it id love to get my hands on em all!
Tried one a while back. It definitely feels like an amp you could chase tones all day. I wish i had more than 15 minutes with it
Cool video!
Ya know i commented about this a few months back but its also made me realize something.
I often forget I'm listening to an amp and I end up just jammin the tune you wrote for the demonstration. What I've realized is that the amps I like the most are the ones where I forget I'm listening to an amp. The ones that don't sound as great to me I'm able stay focused on the tone.
May be my adhd, may be its legit. Idk
Damn that’s so versatile!
Man I absolute love Engl amps! Ridiculous tone, I'd take a Powerball over a dual rectifier are Marshall jvm any day!
I jumped in the seat when it began 😂 I listen to this videos a little bit loud as only there I really notice nuances in sound.
GREAT REVIEW AS ALWAYS! I fell in LOVE with the tubemeister 40 deluxe after your review! What would it be your fave ALL IN ONE plugin for guitar recording in studio? I'm giving away my kemper 'cause I feel like most plugs work pretty well...
Killer riffs ❤️
Cheers mate!
Cool Tone! Will be amazing if you can review the ENGL Savage MkII and compare it with the fireball or powerball!!!
Perfect video, why only so many comments?
Man, that Lead 3 with the Les Paul has some serious Hetfield vibe. That might be one of the most versatile amps you've got.
Very versatile!
Congrats for the channel! Have you ever tried the Viktor Smolski ENGL? I own one and love it! To me is like a thicker Powerball II.
I haven't tried it but I'm more than happy with this one. Still in the honeymoon ya know? :)
I love ENGL amps too!!! Great video! Can the Bluguitar Amp 1 do it??? Good god I love the Iridium! Cheers J!!!
Great video !
Could you do a shootout with this amp and the fireball and 6505 ?
That Tone by 20:20 😵💫 Midrange Bite 🤩
Bravo 🎉
Impressive review, thanks!
So you prefer the Powerball over the FIreball and the Ironball?
Powerball 2 sounds awesome. I really didn't dig the first one if I remember correctly. This one is sounds great!
This is a superb amp demo. nobody just there fiddling with the knobs and mucking about and, while that can be tasteful, gets boring after a while and doesn't represent what they do most times.
Damn that sounds great but what rocks the most in this video is your shirt🤣
Great amp and review. What IRs did you use specifically for the metal parts?
I have an Invader 2 El-34 model wicked amp! Hello from Newfoundland, Canada
awesome~!
I own this head. It is the best amplifier. Now 12-13 years after becoming a first time owner I just want to say a different guitar makes a 200,000% difference. Once I had the engl se670 and it sounded ok. With a better cabinet and a different guitar it sounded like an entirely different I had ever heard.
It's mostly about those pickups, then strings
Awesome review, thank you! Way too many ads.
Hello🤘
Your videos are allways super informative.
So I have a question:
what do you think about the Engl Artist Edition 100? Would you make a video about the amp?🤘
I have never tried one so I wouldn't know
Great video as always!
Have you tried comparing it to the high gain channel of the Fireball?
You can kind of compare them in my most recent video that I posted a couple days ago
Hey Jon awesome review as always! Question… are you using software for your drum tracks? And how are you recording the amp? Direct in or mic’d?
I use Steven Slate Drums
i use a mesa closed back 2x12 with this beast! It is an amazing amp! I love how throaty kick you in the nuts it is ha
我最爱的箱头
sounds like a pretty good amp. not one i'd thought would bees good.
sidenote: where do you get all your drum tracks?
Can you do a comparison video with fireball?
So we need a Savage VS Powerball Video! :)
Use it with WGS Invader speakers, trust me you'll love the Powerball even more after that.
Nice video.
How do you think it compares to the Engl Savage 120 or maybe the Revv 120 Mk III?
I love high gain and metal but I also play a lit of older and lighter stuff. We play stuff like Alice in Chains, Police, STP, Rush, The Cars, Nirvana, Smashing Pumpkins, Metallica, etc.
I have to say ENGL amps have one of the best heavy distortion tones. The tone is just ballsy and tight plus no boost is needed. It is also easy to record cause you have zero fizz or whatever it is called unlike Marshall amps that imo harder to record. How is the master volume for home use? And how does it compare to a friedman HBE channel? Great video!
It's very useable at home!
@@SonicDriveStudioGreat, thanks!
I could spend a lifetime on the crunch channel...
Great review. Not the best Engl, but very usable soundwise and very versatile. Agree with mids on Ch3. I play thrash on this channel. Just need to be careful with Presence and Treble controls to avoid too much sharpness.
The Engl sounds so good, as did all the guitars. I particularly liked the cream LTD Deluxe through it. What is the neck pickup which has the pole pieces right in the middle of the pickup?
That's the Phat Cat by Seymour Duncan
I got the powerball 1 back in 2008. toured the world with it and beat the hell outta it. After 14 years it finally needs to be serviced. These amps are tanks. The only thing that sucks is the footswitch.
🖤🔥🖤
Which if one could be choosed- Mesa dual recto multi watt or this one? Im battling this for so long. Now i could afford one of them.
Ive played wit boogies before, but mostly mark series.