ENGL Special Edition E 670 Amplifier
Specifications
Manufacturer:
ENGL GmbH, engl-amps.com
List Price:
Head, $4,999.99; matching 4x12 cabinet, $1,562.99; option Z-15 MIDI controller, $524.99
Originally published in Guitar World, April 2009
It seems every amplifier company has a flagship product designed to deliver the most popular features and innovations of the amps in its lineup. But even with all the bells and whistles, these top-of-the-line amps usually have a signature tone characteristic that pervades each of its channels and limits its versatility.
ENGL has taken a different approach with its monstrous Special Edition E670 amplifier. The Special Edition is built on a platform of relative neutrality and appointed with a litany of tone-shaping features and gain levels that make the amp adaptable to a wide range of styles. Adding to its attractiveness as the centerpiece of a professional rig, the all-tube Special Edition features a port for an optional MIDI foot controller.
FEATURES
ENGL’S Special Edition has a fortress-like appearance, with a tough vinyl hide, a prison-bar grille and a brushed-aluminum faceplate. Two pairs of 6L6s generate 100 extremely loud watts, and five ECC83s drive the gain stages. If the full power of this Bavarian-born beast is too overwhelming, it can be switched down to a more manageable 50 watts in Half-Drive mode. There are essentially four master volume–style channels with several ways to shift frequency ranges, gain levels and response characteristics. The clean and crunch channels share gain, bass, middle and reverb controls, but each has its own treble knob and volume. A gain boost switch affects both of these channels, as do switches for Normal Bright and Ultra Bright.
The Lead I and Lead II channels each have dedicated treble, gain and volume controls but share controls for bass, middle and reverb. A high-gain switch vastly increases the distortion level of both lead channels, and the midrange shape can be severely altered with contour and Mid Edge switches.
The Special Edition has two presence and two master controls, making it possible to set up footswitchable options at preset levels. For instance, Master 1 can be set for an ideal rhythm level while Master 2 is set for a solo level. The reverb can be deactivated with the front panel switch, and the two parallel effect loops or serial effect loop can also be activated on the front panel. If you’re in search of infrasonic bliss on any channel, a global Depth Boost switch will vastly increase the low-end response. Or if you’re really obsessed with a phat bottom, the Mega Lo Punch switch has your back.
One of the Special Edition’s most powerful response-altering tools is its Modern/Classic switch. It affects all channels and essentially changes the amp from a softer and darker character in the classic mode to a punchy and aggressive modern demeanor. Though their controls reside on the amp’s back, the noise gate and Tube Driver features can be activated on the front panel. The Tube Driver is a simple and separate tube-driven channel that bypasses all front panel controls. It has its own EQ section and delivers very basic tones that range from clean to overdriven.
The amp’s back panel has two sets of switchable speaker outputs with individual impedance selectors, plus two parallel effect loops and one series loop, a cable check circuit, a MIDI connection port with trimming dip switches and an advanced line out circuit for the preamp and power amp. The matching ENGL 4x12 cabinet is loaded with Celestion Vintage 30s and fronted by a woven wire grille. If you opt for the ENGL MIDI controller, practically every amp feature can be switched at your feet.
PERFORMANCE
Many American and British amps are described as having warm personalities because of their wide midrange accents. On the other hand, great German amps like the ENGL Special Edition have a cooler tone. It’s no less organic, just flatter. This impartiality and transparency illuminates a guitar’s own tonal qualities and makes the amp exceptionally compatible with a large variety of rack and pedal units. Clean tones are absolutely pristine and powerful, but the amp generates inspiring layers of crunch and overdrive as well.
The Special Edition is also one of the rare amps that will never need an overdrive pedal to push its preamp. There’s enough high-intensity gain in the ENGL to satisfy even the most diabolical desire for excessive distortion and sustain. The most insane gain settings never compromise focus or definition. It may take a little time to discover the amp’s astounding tones through the abundant sound-shaping switches, but it’s well worth the journey.
THE BOTTOM LINE
ENGL’S Special Edition is one of the few flagship amps that really delivers on the promise of ultimate tonal and feature flexibility. Its numerous tools are useable, and the gain range covers everything from bone clean to explosive.
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April 14, 2011 at 5:00am
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April 12, 2011 at 2:03am
Electric guitars, introduced in the 1930s, rely on an amplifier that can electronically manipulate tone. Early amplified guitars employed a hollow body, but a solid body was found more suitable. Electric guitars have had a continuing profound influence on popular culture. Guitars are recognized as a primary instrument in genres such as blues, bluegrass, country, flamenco, jazz, jota, mariachi, reggae, rock, soul, and many forms of pop.
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April 11, 2011 at 2:23am
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with either nylon or steel strings. Some modern guitars are made of polycarbonate materials. Guitars are made and repaired by luthiers.
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March 24, 2011 at 2:08am
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March 03, 2011 at 4:38pm
Bass instrument speaker cabinets are typically more rigidly constructed and heavily braced than those for non-bass instrument amplification. They usually include tuned bass reflex ports or vents for increased efficiency at low frequencies. Preamplifier sections have equalization controls that are designed for the deeper frequency range of bass instruments, and can extend down to 40 Hz or below. Bass instrument amplifiers are more likely to be designed with cooling fans than regular guitar amplifiers, due to the high power demands of bass instrument amplification. They are also more commonly equipped with limiter circuitry to prevent overloading the power amplifier and protect the speakers from damage.Orange County Seo
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February 24, 2011 at 3:54am
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January 21, 2011 at 9:17am
Exactly!! I'm looking now for high quality/durable amplifiers. Thank you so much for this one. Keep going posting articles like this.
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January 21, 2011 at 12:52am
I've seen this one used in one our gigs. The sound was so neat that I fell in love with this machine.
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July 14, 2010 at 11:52am
Interesting post and thanks for sharing. Some things in here I have not thought about before.Thanks for making such a cool post which is really very well written.will be referring a lot of friends about this.Keep blogging.
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rocknow
September 02, 2009 at 3:55pm
The special edition rocks but some say it has features that a lot of players won't use, plus it is expensive as heck!
The Invader, Powerball or Blackmore might be other options for players to check out.
Engl's MySpace page has some good audio clips of the Invader
This site (www.englpowerball.com) has some video of the Engl Powerball including Paul Riario of Guitar World doing an awesome video demo of the amp and some owner videos from Youtube.
chiery
September 02, 2009 at 7:52am
This ENGL special edition look cool!!! Perhaps I will recommend this to my friends..
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