Powerball vs Fireball

[FSU_Seminoles]

I've owned a Fireball and played it for a couple months last summer. I had to sell it in order to pay for school. I'd like to know if any of you owned or played them both and could compare the 2 amps in general to start with.

[mjtripper]

Re: Powerball vs Fireball

Could I add a screamer to that comparison list?

[Eric_kv2]

Re: Powerball vs Fireball

I have owned the Powerball, but not the fireball. Basically the powerball is 100w, has clean, crunch, lead 1, and lead 2, built in noise gate. It is supposed to have a little bit smoother sound than the fireball. Its like a fireball with more options and watts.

[FSU_Seminoles]

Re: Powerball vs Fireball

in your opinion, is the powerball a really high quality amp or is it comparable to many amps out there ?

[Eric_kv2]

Re: Powerball vs Fireball

www.rocksolidamps.com Check that site out and listen to the clips. I think the powerball is a good amp for the money. It is kinda scooped sounding though if you max out your low end. There are a lot of good amps on that site like: Framus cobra, madison divinity, splawn, and all the ENGLs. I went with an ENGL SE with EL-34's. Kinda pricey but it is very versitile. Its like a cross between the powerball and the savage with more bells and whistles.

[FSU_Seminoles]

Re: Powerball vs Fireball

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www.rocksolidamps.com Check that site out and listen to the clips. I think the powerball is a good amp for the money. It is kinda scooped sounding though if you max out your low end. There are a lot of good amps on that site like: Framus cobra, madison divinity, splawn, and all the ENGLs. I went with an ENGL SE with EL-34's. Kinda pricey but it is very versitile. Its like a cross between the powerball and the savage with more bells and whistles.

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yeah I know that site, I must have listened to every single clip at least 2 or 3 times so. But sometimes when you play it live it's a little different. What other amps have you played, and how would you rank the PB compared to these amps ?

[Eric_kv2]

Re: Powerball vs Fireball

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www.rocksolidamps.com Check that site out and listen to the clips. I think the powerball is a good amp for the money. It is kinda scooped sounding though if you max out your low end. There are a lot of good amps on that site like: Framus cobra, madison divinity, splawn, and all the ENGLs. I went with an ENGL SE with EL-34's. Kinda pricey but it is very versitile. Its like a cross between the powerball and the savage with more bells and whistles.

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yeah I know that site, I must have listened to every single clip at least 2 or 3 times so. But sometimes when you play it live it's a little different. What other amps have you played, and how would you rank the PB compared to these amps ?

[/ QUOTE ] The powerball has a shitload of gain so if you like a lot of gain you'll love the powerball. As far as amps I've played I would say the powerball is one of my favorites. It sounds best with passive pick ups, but it still will sound decent with actives too. Even more so than any other engl except for an SE. I heard that the powerball gets lost in the mix in a band environment but that could be due to the fact that everyone scoops their mids. As far as other amps I've played: ENGL Savage (sounds great with passive pick ups not so great with actives and has less gain than the powerball, Bogner ubershall (had nice gain, but I didn't like the clean channel that much), VHT Ultralead (kinda sounds like a glorified mesa mark 4, but the distortion was too dry for me), VHT 50cl(I liked the sound of this better than the UL, but still was too dry for me)Framus Dragon (I almost bought this, but i wanted to hear how a framus cobra compared to it),Mesa Dual rectifier(great distortion except it got kinda muddy at high levels. It can get good cleans if you dial them in right Hated the eq though. If you turn up the treble you loose the bass and mids.), Marshall tsl and dsl (good amps, but I wanted more gain), Mesa Mark 4 (great tones, just wanted more gain), Mesa stiletto (I almost bought one of these too, I'm not sure why I didn't. It kinda sounds like a Tighter version of the rectifier. I really dug the voicing of this amp.) If you're thinking of getting a powerball, first check out the Framus cobra and the Engl Se. I heard both of these two have more mids and make it easier to cut or hear in a live or band situation. I've heard the same thing about the Peavey 6505+ which is under $1000, but it doesn't have a nice clean like a powerball, SE , or Cobra. Engl have more of a saturated distortion with active pick ups than any amp i've heard. The reason being is that they were designed to make passives sound killer. If you have emg's, get a 85 in the bridge. It will make it sound fuller with Engl's. I've heard 5150's and madison divinity's live and both amps cut through the mix well along with marshalls and mesas.

[FSU_Seminoles]

Re: Powerball vs Fireball

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<a href="www.rocksolidamps.com" target="_blank">www.rocksolidamps.com</a> Check that site out and listen to the clips. I think the powerball is a good amp for the money. It is kinda scooped sounding though if you max out your low end. There are a lot of good amps on that site like: Framus cobra, madison divinity, splawn, and all the ENGLs. I went with an ENGL SE with EL-34's. Kinda pricey but it is very versitile. Its like a cross between the powerball and the savage with more bells and whistles.

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yeah I know that site, I must have listened to every single clip at least 2 or 3 times so. But sometimes when you play it live it's a little different. What other amps have you played, and how would you rank the PB compared to these amps ?

[/ QUOTE ] The powerball has a shitload of gain so if you like a lot of gain you'll love the powerball. As far as amps I've played I would say the powerball is one of my favorites. It sounds best with passive pick ups, but it still will sound decent with actives too. Even more so than any other engl except for an SE. I heard that the powerball gets lost in the mix in a band environment but that could be due to the fact that everyone scoops their mids. As far as other amps I've played: ENGL Savage (sounds great with passive pick ups not so great with actives and has less gain than the powerball, Bogner ubershall (had nice gain, but I didn't like the clean channel that much), VHT Ultralead (kinda sounds like a glorified mesa mark 4, but the distortion was too dry for me), VHT 50cl(I liked the sound of this better than the UL, but still was too dry for me)Framus Dragon (I almost bought this, but i wanted to hear how a framus cobra compared to it),Mesa Dual rectifier(great distortion except it got kinda muddy at high levels. It can get good cleans if you dial them in right Hated the eq though. If you turn up the treble you loose the bass and mids.), Marshall tsl and dsl (good amps, but I wanted more gain), Mesa Mark 4 (great tones, just wanted more gain), Mesa stiletto (I almost bought one of these too, I'm not sure why I didn't. It kinda sounds like a Tighter version of the rectifier. I really dug the voicing of this amp.) If you're thinking of getting a powerball, first check out the Framus cobra and the Engl Se. I heard both of these two have more mids and make it easier to cut or hear in a live or band situation. I've heard the same thing about the Peavey 6505+ which is under $1000, but it doesn't have a nice clean like a powerball, SE , or Cobra. Engl have more of a saturated distortion with active pick ups than any amp i've heard. The reason being is that they were designed to make passives sound killer. If you have emg's, get a 85 in the bridge. It will make it sound fuller with Engl's. I've heard 5150's and madison divinity's live and both amps cut through the mix well along with marshalls and mesas.

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thanks a lot, I love it when people develop their posts like you did

out of those amps I've only owned the Mesa Rectifer (2 channel version) and an ENGL Fireball. Thing with the Rectifier is like you said, it's way too muddy at high levels. I never played it with an overdrive though. Some people said the best way they found to get a nice sound out of it was by using an overdrive. They used less gain and added an overdrive in the mix.

The Fireball lacked gain for what I like to play. I got a really good Kill Em All tone or AC/Dc tone but I needed a little more.

I know it sounds repetive but I'm looking for a Mark IIC+ type sound let's say. From the clips I heard I thought maybe the powerball could get me that sound, maybe with an EP added to the mix and a couple more things.

in case you know Mystic Prophecy, I really like the tone on the second album ... lords of pain more specifically ... I think Gus G. used an ENGL amp for that album but I'm not sure. I saw pics of a Savage for the other album he did with them but I never heard any songs of that album so I can't tell ...

[RacerX]

Re: Powerball vs Fireball

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The Fireball lacked gain for what I like to play. I got a really good Kill Em All tone or AC/Dc tone but I needed a little more.

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That is odd, I usually hear opposite of that. I always hear that it has massive amounts of gain, like the Uberschall.

[skarhead]

Re: Powerball vs Fireball

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The Fireball lacked gain for what I like to play. I got a really good Kill Em All tone or AC/Dc tone but I needed a little more.

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LOL. what do you play ? you're in a mortician coverband or what ?

I played everything from suffocation to disgorge (usa), deeds of flesh type stuff and had no problems with the lack of gain :O And my gain was on about 11 o'clock then

Btw i liked the FB much more than the PB which was to scooped - have to check PB MK 2

[Fragle]

Re: Powerball vs Fireball

well, i don't own the album you mentioned so i can't tell you what amp is gonna get you close to that sound.
however, generally speaking i'm not exactly an engl fan....too sizzly without any "body" imho. too mid scooped.

i wonder if you liked the recto voicing aside from the muddy bottom end issue? if so, check out the framus cobra and peavey XXX. if you found the recto to lack mids, check out the 5150 if you haven't already.
you could always go the marshall + OD pedal route, but maybe you're after a more modern tone.

ok, oops i just re-read you post....you like the mkII c+? check out the mark III and IV, the mesa stiletto, VHT stuff, as well as the framus cobra. i don't think engl amps are anywhere near mesa mark series territory. more like a mesa/marshall mix...like a tighter recto but with more marshall-ish highs kinda.

[Endrik]

Re: Powerball vs Fireball

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I know it sounds repetive but I'm looking for a Mark IIC+ type sound let's say. From the clips I heard I thought maybe the powerball could get me that sound, maybe with an EP added to the mix and a couple more things.

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ENGL, and specially the PB is the last amp on the earth that could sound like the MK IIC+. Apples and Oranges.

[horns666]

Re: Powerball vs Fireball

It was not until I heard the Uberschall, that I had succumed to a sonic misfortune..it will kick the dick right off ya.. [img]/images/graemlins/what.gif[/img]

You'll be at the ER with your dick in your shirt pocket!! [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img] [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img] [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

Now, isn't that what we all want??!! [img]/images/graemlins/tongue.gif[/img]

[FSU_Seminoles]

Re: Powerball vs Fireball

what VHTs might get me that kinda tone ?

[Fragle]

Re: Powerball vs Fireball

i can't tell you for sure as i have zero first hand experience with VHT amps, but i've been told countless times (e.g. in this thread) that the vht pitbull ultra lead is kinda like a mark IV but more stiff
"VHT Ultralead (kinda sounds like a glorified mesa mark 4, but the distortion was too dry for me"