Engl Thunder 50 head and 2x12 Engl Cab

[nick_s]

OK, I've had my new amp for a while now, used in practice and in full tilt scenarios, so here goes.

 

The amp is a 3 channel amp (clean/crunch/lead), using a master volume over all three, but the master volume is also the sole volume for the clean channel. The single gain knob is also the sole gain channel for the amp. The crunch and lead have their own independent volume knobs. This presents a small challenge in finding a nice set of tones, so I tend to set my clean tone using the master and gain, and build my drive sounds around this, using their own volume knobs to bring it up to balance nicely.

 

The treble/mid/bass EQ knobs are well voiced, and offer a wide range of tones. That my friends is the limit of the controls on this amp. Nice and simple, which is what I was after.

 

Now Engl as we know are famed for their modern metal sounds, this amp is their foray into vintage sounding tones. Being powered by a pair of 6L6GC valves in the power stage, it offers fat low end, with plenty of sparkly cleans, not something I truly expected from an Engl. I will admit, I do struggle getting a truly clean tone if using humbuckers with the gain anything much more than say 20-25%, I do have to turn back the volume on the guitar. Single coils suit the amp well for clean bell like tones. I can get nice clean tones a la Dire Straits, all the way to hard rock akin to say GnR with ease.

 

Now, I have run the head into the Engl 2x12 and a Marshall 4x12, and it suits the Engl cab better, possibly down to the Celestion V60's in the Engl Cab over the G12T-75's in the Marshall...who knows. The sound was quite 'bland' through the Marshall cab, could be a dud cab, I'll try some different ones to confirm for sure.

 

Now, a couple of photos of said amplifier (she's a good looking amp), one sitting at home, one in the practice studio through the 4x12:

 

 

 

I'd certainly recommend it if you don't need a huge amount of headroom, and want some classic tones from outside the more commonly associated manufacturers of amplifiers offering these sounds.