Dear ENGL Amp User: Congratulations and thank you for choosing the Victor
Smolski Signature Limited Edition amp!
It's back to the roots for ENGL: Back in the '80s, ENGL put into the hands of guitarists a
mean machine of an amp called the Straight, now a legend in hard rock and heavy
metal circles. Then in the 90s, ENGL upped the ante with the SAVAGE line of amps,
which raised the bar for performance, power, and tone for axe-wielders who like to
punctuate their musical statements with a mighty roar.
Now, in the 21st century's second decade, amp designer Horst Langer has teamed up
with guitarist extraordinaire Victor Smolski to craft a sound-sculpting tool that would
bring Victor's ideas about tone to life in glorious sonic detail. Much of their effort
focused on the two Lead channels, tweaking them to offer ultra high-gain reserves
that nonetheless yield richly defined tone. Both are exceedingly responsive despite
their extreme gain structures. The Clean and Crunch channels are equally impressive,
delivering oh-so-sweet sound to cover every conceivable genre.
What you see is what you get: The eye-catching visuals with the distinctive chain-link
front say more about this amp's sound than a thousand-word essay. And its powerful
6L6GC-driven 100-watt power amp packs a wallop mighty enough to cut through even
at very high volume levels.
Courtesy of its ability to crank out tight, focused low end, glossy top end and jaw-
dropping sound pressure levels, this amp provides the contemporary guitarist with
richly detailed tone and the kind of cut-thru-the-din assertiveness that sets standards
for amps of this class. And in keeping with the ENGL tradition of engineering
excellence, it sports a host of hip features: a second master volume (
),
electronic power amp monitoring (P.T.M.), a switchable and adjustable FX Loop, and a
Depth Punch knob that shapes the power amp's response by beefing up the low end.
But that's not the last word on this ENGL head's innovative features: you also get two
different mid sound voicings, via the middle-voiced feature. We created these voicings
to extend the range of lead sounds you have at your disposal by tweaking mid-range
response to suit different playing styles and applications.
There are few more handy features to rave about: This amp sports our Serial Amp
Control Port, or S.A.C. Port for short. Plug an ENGL Z-9 Custom Foot Controller into to
it and get hip to some very convenient remote control options. This footboard lets you
activate the four channels directly in combination with Master A/B switching simply by
tapping its four footswitches. And that affords you instant access to four sound
variations at two different volume levels each. Moreover you can access further
prominent features like
and
; the build in Noise Gate
affecting both Lead channels is switchable via footswitch too.
In addition, the amp comes with three stereo jacks designed to accept dual
footswitches like the ENGL Z-4 or a MIDI switching system (e.g. ENGL Z-11) for
selecting the channels and other crucial Amp features.
Old world craftsmanship and highest quality components are part of what makes
ENGL amps so special, and the Powerball is no exception. On that note, please read
and heed the guidelines on handling all-tube amps. The ENGL team is convinced that
this amp will delight and inspire you.
Smolski says, "For many years now I have trusted in ENGL Amps on stage and in the
studio. I was always using different ENGL models but finally I am able to get everything
I need in one amp."
Master A/B
Middle-voiced
FX Loop off/on
4
