Thomann Affiliate: www.thomann.de/intl/index.html?offid=1&affid=3210 My personal Thomann recommendations: thmn.to/thocf/cv37zixo68 My webstore for Captures, presets etc: ko-fi.com/sonicdrivestudio Thanks for supporting the channel!
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!
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!
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 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!
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!
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.
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!
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.
@@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.
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!
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.
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.
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.
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 !
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!
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
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.
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
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
@@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
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.
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
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.
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 😎👠🤘🎸
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!
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!
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? 😂
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
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.
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.
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!
Hallo, i am listening your channel now for a while and like your videos a lot. Now, i ordered a Powerball a few days ago, before I saw this video, nd I hope the amp will sou nd as good as can hear it in the videos. I love not only the clean tones, but the overall channels as they have so much saturation. A while ago I got a Stealth 50 w and the first amp had a defect green and blue channel and the second a defect red channel though both were new. So thiat chapter was closed for me. Now I am waiting for the powerball and I am really curious. Greetings from germany!
Great amp, but why does (quite possibly) the best amp demo channel on RU-vid not get the subscriber love it deserves? I’ve been subscribed for a good amount of time but ‘popular’ RU-vid stars get all the love just for drop tuned palm muted chugs? There is so much tonal Variety in Jon’s playing styles and he’s such a solid player making these demos a step above the rest. Always covering clean to dirty and everything in between…something for everyone. Surely there is a problem with the RU-vid algorithms? Jon should be in the hundreds of thousands by now and heading towards a million subscribers…Just saying…
I appreciate it! Well, I do think that my content is fairly specialized. Someone like Ola and Fluff have more of a personality to them so people not only watch them for gear but also because they think they are funny guys. I'm less funny and my channel is just more about the sound and tones etc. Thats why I think I'm not growing as fast as they are for example. I've also started my channel at a later point. However, I'm pleased with where I am and I love doing what I do so I'm never going to stop! I really appreciate the support though! Thanks
I bought mine a while back now. I was a previous Powerball 1 owner and while it was great and all, it just disappeared far too easily in any live mix. The Powerball II has address all of this and just sounds phenomenal out of the box. The only thing I need to do is to make a mental adjustment and realise that I don't need to run the gain as high as I do with my Marshalls. It is the workhorse amplifier in my view.
Did you have the original Powerball 1, or the 1.2 (the updated version before the 2 came out)? I have the 1.2 version that I've had since around 2005. It's a beast, but like you said, gets lost. How would you say the two differ in tone?
@@mikechristy1840 I had the original v1. I've not experience the 1.2. Differences in tone, I would say the PB2 is less dark for sure. I would say it was like Engl looked at the Peavey 6505+ a lot and edged more towards that tone overall without quite getting there. It's a lot more restrained than the 6505+ but retains enough midrange to cut just as it should. But you can back it off. I wouldn't call it a set and forget amplifier, you need to make use of your soundchecks. But overall, it's a huge improvement on the PB v1x amplifiers and a lot more versatile. I would definitely suggest it's worth the upgrade, ideally before people figure it out. I think it's not been popular due to the PB1 and it's lack of cutting. But now people are gradually cluing into it, it is going to be the next Peavey 6505 in my view.
@@jonsick445 wow, I've never heard anyone compare it to a 6505. That's really interesting. I'd love to upgrade mine, but I think my wife might leave me. 😂 But I will say that my amp seems to have really benefited from putting an OD in front and/or an EQ in the loop. It really helps to brighten up the tone. Of course, this is all me playing in a bedroom. I haven't played live in years (and honestly probably won't again) so I don't know if OD and EQ help enough to cut through with a band. I've also seen people say that the 1 and 1.2 benefit from different speakers (Greenbacks if I remember were popular). My current cab is V30s, so it may be worth it to get a different cab and see how it sounds. But it would be nice to have the 2. Maybe one day.
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!
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!
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
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 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.
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...
This video forced my hand to purchase a Powerball 2. I had a Savage and never 100% vibed with it. I like the savage quite a bit just not as much as the 3100.00 I paid for it. I just ordered the Powerball 2 for 2k which seems far more reasonable.
John. I love you. You are running out amps/gear to review it seems. I know it is costly because you are not as popular as someone like Ola who gets most things for free. Please take my feedback and start posting videos of your sick riffs and then hopefully song ideas. There is only so much gear to review. Put yourself and your creativity out there. I look forward to it.
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?🤘
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.
