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ENGL Ironball


Citroenfris

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Hey everyone

I was wondering what your thoughts are on the new ENGL Ironball. It's been introduced on NAMM this year but it hasn't been picked up that much yet it seems as it's hard to find discussions about it. I added two videos to give you an idea of the sound (be it not very good sound quality) and the specifications to get the discussion going.

 

Specifications

  • Power: 20 watts
  • Channels: 2
  • Gain Levels: 2 per channel
  • Shared EQ: Bass / mids / treble / presence
  • Inserts: Series
  • Pre Amp Valves: 4 x 12AX7
  • Power Amp Valves: 2 x EL84
  • Effects: Hall / Reverb
  • Impedance: 4/8/16 ohms
  • Special Features: Powersoak (20/10/5/1/0 Watt), Headphone Out

 

Videos

 

 

 

I guess it's in direct competition with the mini-rectifier which is rather expensive for what it is (imo) in Europe.. this would be a bit cheaper in Europe but I guess in America it will be more expensive. Eitherway any thoughts? To me it sounds pretty good and I am looking to buy my first valve amp soon and this one seriously catched my intrest.

 

Have a pleasant day

 

Lemon

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The video sounds good but it's hard to say if it will be for you or not. Need more information.

 

If I were in Europe, I'd pick up a Hughes and Kettner or two, I'd guess they'd be cheaper there?  They seem to offer amps that cover the whole spectrum.

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It looks awesome and sounds nice. I have always been a bit underwhelmed by Engl amps in general.  I mean, I want to like them, but they have never quite done it for me. Not sure the pricing on this one, but I'd probably just grab a used Marshall for your first tube amp. Probably be much cheaper and you would get more mileage out of it. 

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codecontra wrote:

It looks awesome and sounds nice. I have always been a bit underwhelmed by Engl amps in general.  I mean, I want to like them, but they have never quite done it for me. Not sure the pricing on this one, but I'd probably just grab a used Marshall for your first tube amp. Probably be much cheaper and you would get more mileage out of it. 

Supposedly it will cost around $1200 in EU which seems rather steep. I guess in the US it will be around $1750 and I'm not a huge fan of the Marshall's for some reason. I was thinking of a Single Rectifier as well but those would cost around the same as this Ironball head on the used market here.

I'm looking for an amp I can use at home and to jam with when I get together with friends which is why I preferred the 20 watt. Ofcourse every suggestion is welcome and much appreciated :D.

Greets

 

Lemon

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  • 5 months later...
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This Ironball also seems to be a direct response to Hughes & Kettner's "Tubemeister 18", which I own. All of the features appear to be very similar to the H&K; both are low-wattage ( Tubemeister is 18 watts ), compact footprint, and lightweight. The one difference is that the Tubemeister contains an H&K RedBox DI for direct recording to a console or board using an XLR output. Otherwise, these two could be cousins. Both of these amps seem to have a very wide range of useable tones, extremely useful for any recording situation. I also own an Engl Thunder 50W head and it is a tremendous amp. The lead channel offers extremely high-gain but with articulation - you can do fast hammer-ons and pull-offs and it will sound as if you're picking every note ! And no mud, even when cranked. The Thunder's clean channel was the surprise - I bought the amp for the lead sounds but was floored at how pristine and shimmering the clean channel was. From the videos you showed - and judging only by the sound emanating from my PC speakers - the Ironball likewise seems to have very nice clean tones. The mystery for me is why the Ironball is priced at $ 1.2K US, while the Tubemeister 18 goes for only $ 600. They're both from Germany and both companies make great amps...is the build quality of the Engl, that much better ? The only Engl I've tried that I didn't like, was their low-wattage "Gigmaster". Nice clean tones and great crunch, but it didn't have the apocalyptic distortion and end-of-the-world sustain that other Engl amps possess. The Ironball - at least from the videos above - definitely nails the high-gain part of the spectrum. Now I want to try it ! If you like the Ironball but the price is driving you away, try the Tubemeister - you might like it as well.

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