Engl Full Tube Guitar Amplifier, Limited Edition Operator's Manual
LIMITED EDITION
Operator´s Manual
Full Tube
Guitar Amplifier
Please, first read this manual carefully!
Tube
Amp
Technology
Tube
Amp
Technology
Table of Contents
page
Introduction
Features and Functionality at a Glance
Contents
Front Panel Features:
Rear Panel Features:
Troubleshooting
Technical Data,
Tube Map, Tube Exchange Service
Wiring of Principal Connectors
Note:
:
Handling and Care
Input; Channel 1 Clean & Channel 2 Crunch Control Features
Power Amp section: P.T.M. Display, Presence, Depth Punch
Channel 3 Lead & Channel 4 Lead Control Features
Middle-voiced (button), Channel selection
Stand By, Power
Poweramp Output 4, 8, 16 Ohms
Poweramp Output: speaker options
Power Amp section: Master A/B
Mains Connector, Mains Fuse
S.A.C. Port for Z-9, Footswitch Ports
Detailed Specifications and Ratings
You'll find an ancillary pamphlet accompanying this owner's manual entitled
Instructions for the Prevention of Fire, Electrical Shock and Injury. Be sure to read it
before you plug in and power up the amp!
Technical specifications are subject to change without notice.
Noise Gate: Threshold Level
FX Loop: Send, Return, and Balance
Remote Control Options
Configuration table for Z-9 settings
CAUTION! Please read and heed the following:
Front Panel Diagrams for Noting Settings
4
5
6
6 - 8
8, 9
9, 10
11
12
12
13
13 - 15
15, 16
16
17
17
18
19, 20
21
22
23
23
24, 25
26
3
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 jawdropping 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
Your ENGL Limited Edition Amp puts at your disposal:
Features and Functionality at a Glance
1. a logical control feature array, utmost and
;
2. and with four channels
and different midrange voicings. Lead Ch 3 and Lead Ch 4 feature the separate
mid control "Middle-voiced" for a precise sound tuning of lead sounds.
3. : s are at your
fingertips, and a tap of your foot on the conveniently compact footboard.
This gives you very .
4.
takes you from clean to a touch of mean. adds some grit to
the mill for with a healthy helping of preamp overdrive.
takes you very deep into the saturation zone with
to spare. offers an immense range of
.
5. An that will give you years of
and .
-> : with
separate Gain and Volume knobs.
-> : One three-band EQ
for Clean and Crunch modes and one three-band EQ
for and .
Two controls and a very special feature that lets
you tweak the high-end response in both Clean and Crunch modes individually.
-> . You can control the remotely via
a footswitch and use this circuit as a hardware bypass for connected FX.
ease of use remarkably intuitive
handling
Top-shelf sound-shaping options remarkable versatility
A broad tonal palette urgically precise sound-sculpting functions
powerful remote control options
Four first-rate fundamental sounds in glorious all-tube tone:
sweet crunch tones
plenty of headroom
gain potential for creamy, singing lead tone
ultra-advanced, tone-generating machine
playing pleasure value to boot
Four channels
Two voicing sections specially tuned for each channel
Switchable and adjustable
Channel 1,
Channel 2,
plus the "
-> . You can footswitch these knobs to activate
two different power amp volume settings on the fly without twisting a knob.
-> . It lets you select channels directly and
control two additional (sound-shaping) features of your choice. Three ¼” stereo
jack plugs accept three dual footswitches that let you control remotely the four
channels, , , , and .
-> Activate it at the amp or via
footswitch to suppress excessive noise at very high gain settings.
Among the hallmarks of this fine amp are painstaking workmanship and finishing
as well as rigorously tested and carefully selected quality components. You'll find
guidelines on care and maintenance of tube amps on page . Under the heading
Tips from the designer, you'll come across practical tips on the aforementioned
features throughout the manual. All critical information concerning the operation
of this amp is preceded by "NOTE", "CAUTION", "Read and heed" or some other eyecatching comment. We're calling your attention to these remarks for reasons of
safety or other compelling motives, so please give them due consideration.
Clean
Channel 3 Lead
Lead Ch Lead Ch 4
Treble-Clean Treble-Crunch:
FX Loop
Crunch
Channel 4 Lead
3
Middle-voiced Master A/B FX Loop Noise Gate
FX Loop
Two power amp Master knobs
The optional Z-9 Custom Footswitch
A Noise Gate for the two Lead Channels.
, , and , each channelClean Crunch Lead Ch 3 Lead Ch 4
Middle-voiced"
control pot
-> and .
18
EQ-system in the poweramp circuit: Presence Depth Punch
5
Everyone at ENGL is confident that the Limited Edition
and are sure to delight you:
Though this amplifier is relatively easy to handle and you're probably raring to give it a
go, I recommend that you read the owner's manual thoroughly before you power it
up. It is equipped with several safety features that require further explanation to
prevent malfunctions.
1. ENGL Limited Edition - Victor Smolski Signature Tube Amp Head type E646;
2. mains cord;
3. this manual;
4. a leaflet presenting diverse sound setting samples
5. a pamphlet entitled
.
At the back of the manual, diagrams of the front and rear
panels. As you're the descriptions of the amp's features, you'll gain a better
understanding of the topic of discussion if you unfold and refer to them as we go!
¼" unbalanced input jack. Plug your guitar in here using a shielded cord.
Depending on the type of cord and its shielding, you may occasionally encounter
interference from sources such as radio stations or powerful magnetic fields. When
this occurs, try connecting your guitar to the amp using different cords. What's more,
to minimize signal degradation due to high-frequency loss, use the shortest cords
feasible (as a rule, the shorter the cord, the less susceptible it is to high-frequency
attenuation).
Gain control for the
tube amp's extraordinary
versatility outstanding features Simply plug in, play and
be inspired by the tone of your great ENGL Amp!
A few words of wisdom from the designer:
A tip from the designer:
Contents:
Instructions for the Prevention of Fire,
Electrical Shock and Injury
Front Panel Features
composed by Victor Smolski
and a few practical hints from Victor;
you'll find fold-out
reading
Channel 1, . This knob determines input sensitivity when the
Clean channel is active.
In Clean mode, single-coil pickups may begin saturating the preamp when the knob is
set to approximately the two o'clock position. Pickups with very high output levels
(humbuckers or active pickups) will evoke mild overdrive at even lower settings. If you
want squeaky clean tone (a pure guitar tone without preamp distortion, that is),
simply back off the Gain control knob accordingly. Refer to the leaflet "Sound Setting
Samples" for additional practical hints from Victor Smolski concerning the topic "Clean
Sounds" !
1 Input
2 Clean Gain-1 (Channel 1)
A tip from the designer:
Clean
6
3 Crunch Gain-2 (Channel 2)
A tip from the designer:
4 Bass
5 Middle
6 Treble-Clean
7 Treble-Crunch
A tip from the designer:
(Channel 1)
Channel 2, . This knob determines input sensitivity when
the Crunch channel is active; use it to dial in the desired amount of preamp distortion.
The amount of distortion depends on your guitar's pickups. If your guitar sports singlecoils and you want to add some grit to your tone and bite to your riffs, set the knob
somewhere between 10 and 2 o'clock. For higher output pickups such as humbucking
or active jobs, dial in settings between 9 and 1 o'clock. For an even bigger, beefier
crunch tone, try Crunch Gain settings well beyond the 2 o'clock position. Refer to the
leaflet "Sound Setting Samples" for additional practical hints from Victor Smolski
concerning the topic "Crunch Sounds" !
Channel 1 and
Channel 2 .
for Channel 1
and Channel 2 .
for Channel 1 .
for Channel 2 .
To help you get acquainted with the amp's fundamental sounds, I recommend that
you set all tone controls to the center or 12 o'clock position. For higher-gain Crunch
sounds, your best bet is to turn the respective Treble knob (7) well down to prevent the
pickups and speakers from interacting at hi levels and generating feedback (the
recommended setting is somewhere in the 10 to 1 o'clock range).
Bear in mind that you also have the Presence (14) control knob at your disposal for
shaping the high frequency range.
The Clean and Crunch channels are equipped with dedicated Treble knobs (6 & 7). This
means that you can tweak the top end of each of the two channels separately to suit
your taste and the given sonic scenario. You will find that grittier tones generally
sound better with a touch less treble because preamp saturation makes higher
frequencies figure more prominently in the signal.
Determines the level of Channel 1 (Clean mode). Twist this knob to adjust Channel 1's
volume and dial in the desired balance of levels with Channel 2, 3 and 4. Because this
volume control is located pre effects loop, it also determines the effects send level for
Channel 1. The green LED to the right of the knob lights up to indicate Channel 1 is on.
Crunch
Clean
Crunch
Clean
Crunch
Clean
Crunch
Gain control for the
Extremely high gain and volume levels can produce powerful feedback.
Avoid feedback squeals; they can lead to hearing loss and damage speakers! At higher
volumes, back off the Gain and Treble levels in order to prevent unchecked feedback!
This is the preamp voicing section's passive low-frequency EQ for
This is the preamp voicing section's passive midrange frequency EQ
This is the preamp voicing section's passive high-frequency EQ
This is the preamp voicing section's passive high-frequency EQ
CAUTION:
8 Clean Volume-1
7
9 Crunch Volume-2
IMPORTANT, PLEASE NOTE: do not flip the Stand By switch off and on in short time
intervals if a P.T.M. LED (10, 11, 12, 13) indicates a tube failure. Let a few minutes
pass by before you engage the poweramp again after you have switched it off!
(Channel 2)
10 Power Tube Monitor V1
11PowerTubeMonitorV2
12PowerTubeMonitorV3
13PowerTubeMonitorV4
AnimportantnoteonthePowerTubeMonitor(P.T.M.)system:
Determines the level of Channel 2 (Crunch mode). Twist this knob to adjust Channel 2's
volume and dial in the desired balance of levels with Channel 1, 3 and 4. Because this
volume control is located pre effects loop, it also determines the effects send level for
Channel 2. The yellow LED to the right of the knob lights up to indicate Channel 2 is on.
This LED lights up when the current flowing through the V1 power amp tube was too
high and the power tube monitor system has switched that tube off.
To learn more about this crucial protection feature, read the paragraph that follows
section 13. See the tube layout chart on page 22 to locate V1's position on the amp
chassis.
This LED lights up when the current flowing through the V2 power amp tube was too
high and the power tube monitor system has switched that tube off.
To learn more about this crucial protection feature, read the paragraph that follows
section 13. See the tube layout chart on page 22 to locate V2's position on the amp
chassis.
This LED lights up when the current flowing through the V3 power amp tube was too
high and the power tube monitor system has switched that tube off.
To learn more about this crucial protection feature, read the paragraph that follows
section 13. See the tube layout chart on page 22 to locate V3's position on the amp
chassis.
This LED lights up when the current flowing through the V4 power amp tube was too
high and the power tube monitor system has switched that tube off.
The next paragraph provides details on this crucial protection feature. See the tube
layout chart on page 22 to locate V4's position on the amp chassis.
The electronic power amp monitoring system constantly gauges the current flowing
through each power amp tube. If it rises to too high a level the system shuts down the
given tube.
This can occur when the amp is operated incorrectly (for example, if the impedance is
wrong due to an incorrect speaker load; see page 17 for permissible loads), at extreme
power spikes, or when a tube is defective.
Reset this electronic monitoring system by switching the standby switch off and on
again. When you press the standby switch to turn the amp on again, the system again
measures the current sent to the tube. If it is still too high, the power amp must be
checked by a service technician, and the tube may have to be replaced if it is defective.
8
14 Presence
and affects all four channels.
and affects all four channels.
This is the preamp voicing section's passive low-frequency EQ for and
This is the preamp voicing section's passive midrange EQ for and
. This Mid control can be used in alternating operation with
(20).
(button, 20) is not activated.
Channel 3 Lead
Channel 4 Lead.
Channel 3 Lead
Channel 4 Lead Middlevoiced
Middle-voiced
This power amp voicing knob's setting determines the amount of high-end frequencies
This power amp voicing knob's setting determines the amount of lo-end frequencies
Refer tothe leaflet " Sound SettingSamples" for a few practical hints from VictorSmolski
concerningthetopic"PresenceandDepthPunchsettings"!
Gain control for the . This Control knob determines input sensitivity
when Channel 3 is active. Use it to dial in the desired amount of preamp saturation
level.
The two Lead channels offers distinctive tonal characteristics; thus they are suited for
different playing styles and techniques. The leaflet “Sound setting samples" illustrates
several application examples and offers practical hints compiled by Victor Smolski
Extremely high gain and volume levels in Lead mode can produce powerful
feedback. Avoid feedback squeals; they can lead to hearing loss and damage
speakers! At higher volumes, back off the Gain, Treble and Presence levels in order to
prevent unchecked feedback!
Gain control for the . This Control knob determines input sensitivity
when Channel 4 is active. Use it to dial in the desired amount of preamp saturation
level.
The two Lead channels offers distinctive tonal characteristics; thus they are suited for
different playing styles and techniques. The leaflet “Sound setting samples" illustrates
several application examples and offers practical hints compiled by Victor Smolski.
Extremely high gain and volume levels in Lead mode can produce powerful
feedback. Avoid feedback squeals; they can lead to hearing loss and damage
speakers! At higher volumes, back off the Gain, Treble and Presence levels in order to
prevent unchecked feedback!
This Control knob determines the portion of mid frequencies when
15DepthPunch
16 LeadGain-3
A tip from the designer:
CAUTION:
17 Lead Gain-4
A tip from the designer:
CAUTION:
18 Bass
19 Middle
Channel 3 Lead
Channel 4 Lead
.
9
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