ENGL "Ironball" (E606)

Bought this mini ENGL amp head from Session Music - Frankfurt, Germany.


You know Germans always make good stuff !


Unboxing started !


ENGL factory packaging is very solid as their amps.


What a beautiful lunch box amp !


This is my ENGL "Ironball" (E606).


Compared to Mesa/Boogie Mark V 25 and mini Rectifier that I had tried side by side at Session Music, Frankfurt,
ENGL Ironball sounded much tighter and much more brutal ! It also has two channel - Clean and Lead.

Just like big brothers - Fireball & Powerball, Ironball has tons of useful gain to handle all range of heavy metal scene
even without any gain boost with it. What a little brutal monster !
Ironball's lead channel has much thicker and rawer mids than Powerball II, and smoother highs than Fireball 60.
When Lead channel engaged with "Gain Boost", you would get more sustain and saturation tone.


Even thought it is a lunch box amp, but nothing is sacrificed for that mini size.
You would get four preamp gain stages which powered by four ECC83 preamp tubes, a pair of EL84 poweramp tubes,
tube buffered FX-loop, built-in with digital reverb, foot-switchable M.V.B (master volume boost) for solo,
and brilliant power attenuator - from full power 20w, 5w, 1w to resistor dummy load.


With that design and size, ENGL "Ironball" (E606) is a professional mini amp head perfect for small gigs and studio recording.

If you fed Ironball preamp signal into Powerball II poweramp section with 6L6 powertubes,
you would notice that Ironball preamp has more upper-mids than Powerball and it had turned to sound more open.
There was no more EL84 compression from Ironball at all when you did that.
I think ENGL has designed Ironball to has more upper-mids and open tone from preamp section
in order to compromise some characters of EL84 powertubes.
And I also believe the compression of Powerball II actually came from its preamp section.

My 3rd ENGL amp head - ENGL Powerball II (E645/2)

Happy NAD (New Amp Day) ! My 3rd ENGL amp head was just arrived !


Here is my ENGL Powerball II (E645/2).
NEW EVOLUTION from Powerball V1/V2 to Powerball II.

The differences between "Old Ball", Powerball version V1 and V2 -
a) The treble control of lead channel on V2 was altered from linear to logarithmic curve.
b) Improve noise gate on V2.
c) The LEDs inside the head are more red on V2.

Now the "New Ball", Powerball II has 4 independent gain controls from each channel.
It comes with BLACK facelift and a RED color power switch (instead of orange color on "Old Ball").
According to ENGL website, there are also special built transformers for Powerball II
to having richer harmonics and faster picking attack which is better for cutting through
on any stage or recording situation.



The ENGL Powerball II was introduced since Winter NAMM show 2010.
Powerball II offers more tone, more control, and more options than ever before!

1) Separate Gain controls for each channel,
-> YES. Let the Powerball II becomes a "truely" 4 channels amp during live show.
The "New Ball" comes with separate gain controls and solid BLACK facelift,
Who will interest with "Old Ball" anymore ?! That's why it was discontinued.

Ch1. Typical ENGL clean tone. Some people hate it.
Ch2. Low gain Crunchy !
Ch3. Typical ENGL modern higain tone. Many ENGL fans love it.
Ch4. Just like Ch3 with little bit higher gain and more bite towards hi mid-frequency voicing.

2) Remote controllable, switchable FX Loop,
-> YES. That's a good improvement. Thanks, ENGL amps !
-> NO. With that price, the new Powerball still isn't MIDI capable as "Old Ball",
even though the Z5 footswitch port was replaced by Z9 MIDI footswitch port for better overall control.
ENGL pedals are great, but they're expensive too ! Ripping off my money again ! LOL

3) Middle-boosted sound option,
-> YES. Better mid voicing. Even with the extreme mid-scooped setting (below 9 o'clock),
I still can hear the FULL HD grind tone ! LOL ... "New Ball cuts thru the mix better than Old Ball ?!"
I hope my Powerball II will be like exactly what they say. Will test it during band rehearsal soon.

4) New improved tube monitoring system.
-> HHHMMMmmmm ... No difference to me. LOL

S.A.C (Serial Amp Control) port for ENGL Z9 footswitch.


Special built transformers ?
For rich harmonics and fast attack to cut through on any stage or recording situation.


Standard ENGL tube task chart
Using 4 gain stages to create such superb higain tone. Thank you, Horst Langer !


TAD 6L6GC powertubes (Chinese 6L6GC, relabeled by ENGL).


ENGL relabel ECC83 tubes look and sound exactly like Chinese 12AX7 to me.


My new Powerball II with my beloved Mesa/Boogie Mark V.
Tight and brutal as my Mark V, but they are totally different. Powerball is COMPRESSED type of tightness to me.
My ENGL Invader does sound more organic and breathe than Powerball II.


The new artist signature model from ENGL year 2011 - Victor Smolski Limited Edition (E646)
which is based on the circuit design of ENGL new Powerball II.

I have played the Victor Smolski model.
It has slightly saturated tone in both Ch.3 and Ch.4 which probably due to higher gain level.
Other than that, I hear no difference between Victor Smolski model and Powerball II.

Powerball II --> Victor Smolski model
Invader --> Steve Morse model
Savage --> Ritchie Blackmore model

Why did Victor Smolski need more gain on his signature model ?
As an Invader owner, you know when the "higain mode" is enganged,
the gain level on Invader is boosted and a lot more than Powerball can be.
Even the noise gate nearly can't handle the noise from the Ch4 of Invader with maxinium gain under "higain mode".
I think Victor Smolski maybe wants Powerball can be comparable with the Invader.

Unlike the Powerball II, they took off the "Bright and Bottom" buttons on E646.
If I were Victor Smolski, I'd probably ask ENGL to remove the USELESS "Bottom" buttons on Ch3 and Ch4,
they are still too BOOMY even with the "Depth Punch" reduced.
Directly integrate both "Bright and Bottom tone character" into Ch1 and Ch2
and removing another two un-footswitchable control buttons.

ENGL Gigmaster 15 (E315) attenuator circuit connection

When you're removing the chassis of Gigmaster, you may need to disconnect
three wires from the build-in attenuator on back grill.


Make sure that you've memorized the sequence of connections
- Blue/Black/Brown (left to right) before removing them from the PCB.

Pictures from Martin Zimmermann, ENGL service. Thank you, Martin.

My second ENGL amp head - InVader 150 (E640) review

Guess : Which model of this ENGL amp ?


YES ! The InVader 150 is here.
Shiny chrome front panel and ENGL logo. You need to give some effort for keeping it shiny as new.


Great features from ENGL InVader model -
1) Noise gate on/off button (Threshold level is on the rear panel as usual)
2) Two effect loops switcher I/II - MIDI assignable
3) Amp Mute - have to use MIDI footswitch to control
4) MIDI Write/Copy
5) Depth Punch control
6) Electronic safety systems
7) Power Tube Monitor (P.T.M) system - status indicated by Write/Copy LED


The most important part is : The InVader offers 4 independent channels :
Ch1 - Sparkling clean channel. The best clean channel that I ever heard from ENGL amps.
Ch2 - Moderate hi-gain channel with british crunchy sound.
Ch3 - Typical ENGL modern hi-gain channel - aggressive, tight and brutal.
Ch4 - Hi-gain channel with mid boost sound (very fat and saturated, good for lead).


Bright and Gain Booster
("Hi-Gain" is always switched off ... Too MUCH gain to me)


Blue Ghost Flames (powered by six super bright LEDs)


MIDI controller module (ENGL MIDI footswitch is optional ... quite expensive)


Nice noise-gate design from ENGL


Two independent effect loops - I/II (parallel to serial adjustable)


Signal Outputs - Preamp out and Line out


Excellent craftmanship from Germany !


Chassis removed for checking bias setting


Internal circuit ... quite massive


Video clip of my ENGL InVader 150 -

ENGL - Ritchie Blackmore signature amp head

This is my first ENGL amp - Ritchie Blackmore signature amp head.
ENGL is Germany-based amplification company. Due to the over-priced Mesa/Boogie amps in Europe,
the ENGL amplification is famous and popular among Europe countries.


The Randall "Lynch Box" (George Lynch signature amp head) is on the top.


Four channels - Clean, Crunch, Lead, Heavy Lead. (Sharing with same 3-band EQ)
Bright switch on Clean channel, contour switch (footswitchable) on Lead Channel


Ritchie Blackmore signature is printed on the front panel.
Master A and Master B volume is footswitchable (for solot boost).


No Noise-Gate and P.T.M (PowerTubes Monitoring) system


Super bright L.E.D. The earlier model such as ENGL Savage 120 has bulbs in stead of L.E.D


Footswitch jacks.


Internal circuit
The factory bias setting is around 34.1 mA (cold setting) and plate voltage is 470VDC
Retube and rebias either with Svetlana 6L6GC or JJ 6L6GC, the sound is much better.


There used to be three versions of ENGL Ritchi Blackmore (E650) signature amp head
1) Current version which comes with ENGL 5881 powertubes,
2) SlowHand Motion (Discontinued) which comes with 6L6GC powertubes,
3) FastHand Motion Limited Edition (Copper front panel) with EL34 powertubes.
The limited edition models come with COA.

I bought the ENGL E650 is not because of Mr.Ritchie Blackmore actually.
Some people say the ENGL E650 is a simplified ENGL Savage 120.
I think the E650 is much more like a ENGL Fireball with higher mid frequency.
To me, the gain level of E650 is comparable as ENGL Fireball.
But the ENGL PowerBall (E645) is still the king of them.

Compared with VHT/Fryette Pittbull CL and Peavey 5150,
E650 lead channel has much more gain than them, but the Pittbull has much more dynamics.
Some people say the ENGL E650 is a "better" version of 5150 amp head.

The video clip of my ENGL Ritchie Blackmore signature amp head.
Retube with Tung-Sol 12AX7 preamps tubes and Svetlanan 6L6GC