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I am after a smaller output head for portability and home use. Still excessive but I'll probably pick up the ENGL Gigmaster 30. It should do the trick.

Also got a hankering for another guitar. I'll pick up a Les Paul Custom at some point no doubt, but I don't know whether to go for something bespoke again first and get the stupid guitar thing out of my system. :up:

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I am after a smaller output head for portability and home use. Still excessive but I'll probably pick up the ENGL Gigmaster 30. It should do the trick.

Haven't heard a single good thing about the Gigmaster from guys that play metal! Most guys that bought them ended up sending them back. Heard much better things about the H&K Tubemeister. If you are really wanting to that kind of cash on a low watt head I'd maybe try the Silverblade Hellhoud or a Baron Snotwatt (it's only 5 watts though) out of curiosity. I'd love one of the Snotwatt's but would be about £600 with FX loop after shipping and VAT which is over budget atm. I'd heard many people say the Snotwatt is untouchable in the low watt/high gain amps league from 7/8 string players.

http://www.silverbladeaudio.com/hellhound.html

here is the Baron Custom amps page.

http://www.baroncustomamps.com/snott.php

Actually please get the Snot Watt so I can try it. Looks and sounds badass.

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/3602793/Snott Watt4.mp3

dsc1678c.jpg

more pics and stuff here. http://www.sevenstring.org/forum/gear-equipment/131413-its-here-nad.html

If you really want a smaller tube ENGL what about the e530 or not after a preamp? Has a built in 3w solid state poweramp for home use too or you could run it through FX loop of your other heads. Maybe even try something like the AMT Tube Cake which is what I will hopefully be getting.

Having said all of that at least Imported Instruments have a Gigmaster. Not sure where you would hear any of the others. The 30 doesn't have the power soak though so not sure I'd buy that for a bedroom head.

As for something I want. Yes, one of these was built for the Russian Circles guitarist. Hence the name. Sounds epic.

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Haven't heard a single good thing about the Gigmaster from guys that play metal! Most guys that bought them ended up sending them back. Heard much better things about the H&K Tubemeister. If you are really wanting to that kind of cash on a low watt head I'd maybe try the Silverblade Hellhoud or a Baron Snotwatt (it's only 5 watts though) out of curiosity. I'd love one of the Snotwatt's but would be about £600 with FX loop after shipping and VAT which is over budget atm. I'd heard many people say the Snotwatt is untouchable in the low watt/high gain amps league from 7/8 string players.

http://www.silverbladeaudio.com/hellhound.html

here is the Baron Custom amps page.

http://www.baroncustomamps.com/snott.php

Actually please get the Snot Watt so I can try it. Looks and sounds badass.

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/3602793/Snott Watt4.mp3

dsc1678c.jpg

more pics and stuff here. http://www.sevenstring.org/forum/gear-equipment/131413-its-here-nad.html

If you really want a smaller tube ENGL what about the e530 or not after a preamp? Has a built in 3w solid state poweramp for home use too or you could run it through FX loop of your other heads. Maybe even try something like the AMT Tube Cake which is what I will hopefully be getting.

Having said all of that at least Imported Instruments have a Gigmaster. Not sure where you would hear any of the others. The 30 doesn't have the power soak though so not sure I'd buy that for a bedroom head.

As for something I want. Yes, one of these was built for the Russian Circles guitarist. Hence the name. Sounds epic.

Having had the original Powerball (well, the v2, rather than the Powerball 2) in 2006 and then the E670 SE EL34 since 2007, I like the voicings of them more than alternatives.

I've played a Gigmaster 30 (R&B stock them for better prices *PLUG*) and was happy enough with it.

Thanks for the suggestions for other stuff, but I'm pretty set on something like the Gigmaster 30. It wouldn't just be for home use - I'd use it at practice and take along as a backup for gigs if anything happened with the SE.

For home use, if it came to it, the SE has a Poweramp bypass. I could run it into my Focusrite Saffire Pro 24 and just listen back with some cans whilst being able to flick the record switch if needed.

I don't get much time to practice at home anymore anyway with work so it'd all be purchasing just because. I haven't done that for a while though... ;)

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HateEvent you "work" at RB Music don't you ?

I was attracted by the ENGL discussion, as it's something I know a little about.

I'm a long term ENGL user, got several of these excellent amps ranging from a Savage 120 to a Gigmaster 15, love-em all, fabulous amps!

The Gig-Master range offers a lot of really great features from a small package, but would I use it to play Metal ? Not very likely, it's not really designed for that job, as anyone selling the amp, like HateEvent, would/should really know. The Gigmaster 15 is a great little bedroom amp, thanks to the attenuator but can easily be used at gigs, where either the place is small or it can be mic'd / DI through the PA. At least you don't need a roadie with the gigmaster 15! The Gig Master 30 isn't a bedroom amp in the same way due to the lack of attenuator, which seems a draw back in someways. Both ranges 15/30 deliver the trademark ENGL sound but ALL ENGL amps are voiced differently for different styles. The Gig-Master series is a rock/blues voicing. Sure you can fiddle with it and draw out more but it's basic voicing is rock/blues. Plus the 15 combos have 10" speakers and the 30's have 12" hardly great for metal, bit small and weedy.

If you want 7 or 8 string de-tuned metal then the Powerball head and a 4x12 cabinet works a treat, it's got the features and correct voicing for exactly this type of music. Lots of metallers play this amp. My own favorite is the Savage 120, which is hughly versatile and flexible and an absolute gem of an amp, for all styles, it even has Ultra Lineir output, so it's speaker control is very preciase, it's really totally top stuff.

HateEvent is here to plug( and he did say that! ) ENGL at "lower prices" for his employers, so I'm guessing he's not really quite grasped what Price Matching, as operated by other stores also in Aberdeen, is all about ??? It means there is no such thing as a "cheaper price somewhere else" and it's a great thing for buyers, has saved me a fortune so far. No more getting screwed by an arrogant local music shop again for me!

I've visited IIMusic in Aberdeen to try some of the ENGL's that I don't have and they have a proper range up there,not just the Gigmasters. Billy set them up for me, so I played a Powerball, a Ritchie Blackmore Signature Head, a Sovereign 100 combo, a Screamer 50 head and more recently the new Gig-Master 30 head all via ENGL 4x12 and ENGL 2x12 cabinets and they all sounded marvelous. Great amps, Im planing to buy a Gigmaster 30 head to finally complete my collection,well that's what I tell the wife, tell ENGL bring out another one!

My own amp bedroom amp is a Savage 60 which ENGL discontinued a few years ago and I also have an ancient 1995 Sovereign 2x12, which is simply amazing, still has the original factory valves as well, sounds just magnificent. I've used ENGL gear for around 10 years and it's 100% reliable, never let me down at all, so I'd highly recommend these to others here, but check for yourselves and hear the different voicings. I play a Strat with 3 single coils, mostly Blues/Rock and not really Metal.

Happy Playing, what ever amp you use.

James

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James, do you work for ENGL by any chance?

No I don't work for ENGL, wish I did, lots of freebies maybe!!

I'm just a really keen ENGL user, I like the products, really well made, great sound etc.

I've used the amps since 2001 and found them to be really good.

Sadly for reasons I don't understand they 've just never really caught on with the British players.

People who have them love them, like me, but getting to know them isn't easy as they are not widely available in shops.

I was amazed to find them at IIMusic in Aberdeen last year, stunned in fact!!

Was like entering as Palace of Temptations for me, a shrine to ENGL, just amazing !!

James

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Haha wow ok. I used to work in R&B. The 'plug' comment was in reply to being told to go to ii music to test them out - consider it as me making even the awareness to users on here as to local availability. ;)

I know all about price matching and model offerings.

However, this thread isn't for me to try and sell anything, it is about what I want to purchase. :)

I'll reply in more detail (well, maybe :laughing: ) tomorrow. :up:

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I only suggested going to II as I didn't know R&B stocked ENGL. The last time I spoke to you about getting an ENGL cab you bemoaned the fact II were the main distributors so I wrongly assumed they didn't have any. I stand corrected!

Also James is basically the lord of everything ENGL and ESP related. I was merely suggesting a few amps that he probably hadn't considered! Incidentally James, tried any of the AMT pedals? The new legend ones look ace and it's basically a pretty good emulation of an ENGL head in a pedal for £100. That and a poweramp would be monstrous back up and super portable.

http://amtelectronics.com/products/la-2_guitar_preamp_series/

Something like the tubecake or electroharmonix 22/44w poweramps would be a rig in 2 pedals. AMT is awesome. I'd happily buy everything they made if I had the cash. The Fred Brum demo has the E2/D2 and P2 pedals all mixed in different channels/parts of the song.

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I've heard of the Amt pedals but I've never tried them.

Things I heard were good though, very good.

Clever to make a pedal sound like 4 preamp tubes and a quartet of power valves.

I'm not a pedal user myself I like to get the amp to do the work itself.

As ever horses for courses, each to their own. I've used the ENGL Tube Tonner though!

It's the front end of an ENGL Screamer in pedal form!!

Great sound, has loads of outputs for PA or amp. Used in front of another Amp gives a wild sustain

Sadly also now discontinued too!!

Seems most of my gear is discontinued now!

Hate Event I do apologise i'm behind the times in tHat last time I read your postings you we're at RB .

Anyway no longer you say.

Somehow I imagine the people here don't need you to "even up" stuff for them.

I'd guess they will already have figured it out for themselves.

Nice of you to take on the role though, I'm sure people will appreciate you helping them that way.

Horst Langer who designs ENGL amps is a good guy.

Very accessible and what he doesn't know about valve amps isn't worth knowing, he's a top man.

Happy playing

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