Bare Knuckle Pickups Forum

Forum Ringside => Guitars, Amps and Effects => Topic started by: maliciousteve on July 04, 2007, 05:52:05 PM

Title: what would you do (Laney and Engl content)
Post by: maliciousteve on July 04, 2007, 05:52:05 PM: Ok so I have both a Laney VH100R and an ENGL Powerball. Being unemployed sucks so I think i'm going to have to sell one of them. I don't really want to as both are incredible. Two of my all time favourite amps.

I've been comparing them this afternoon thinking about which one would I rather keep. Here's what I used:

PRS standard 24 with a Bareknuckle Miracleman in the bridge
Marshall 4 x 12
Laney and ENGL. no boosts or any other effects.

I started with the ENGL. Compressed clean tone, kinda sterile. Very much something like a Petrucci clean tone. Mid gain tones, they're alright but nothing amazing. Overdriven sounds, great tone. Smooth, expressive, slight fizz but I think they may be something some decent preamp valves could fix. Distored tone, monsterous. Huge, very very fight, lots of growl.

Then switched to the Laney. Much more open clean tone, very warm. Mid gain tone, very expressive and very clear. Overdriven tone, again expressive, smooth, no fizz that I can really hear, alot of 'oomph'. The notes really seem to 'punch out' of the amp. Distorted tone, not as tight as the ENGL, very high gain marshall type of growl. But nothing a tube screamer or change of power amp valves to 6L6's could fix.

So as you can see i'm very stuck picking either one. Which one would you guys pick?

I'm not in a band at the moment, but in the future i'll probably be playing in a metal band and would probably would want something along the lines of a Testament/Eidolon rhythm tone, with a Petrucci/Wylde lead tone. As well as have the capability to play other styles of music (blues, Jazz etc etc). I'm really stuck here guys. I'm not really asking you to decide for me, but to give me a few pointers as to what to do :lol:
Title: what would you do (Laney and Engl content)
Post by: lepersmeesa on July 04, 2007, 05:58:04 PM: Metal is the main music you are going to play. So worry about that. There are effects that can help your clean sound. There isnt much you can do with a loose distorted sound.
Title: what would you do (Laney and Engl content)
Post by: Crazy_Joe on July 04, 2007, 06:17:45 PM: Are we talking old school Testament or the new Mesa boogie tone Testament?

Laney if it's old school as they used Marshalls i think, Engl for the Boogie style. or you could keep the Laney and get a preamp in the future like i did and run it through the power amp of the Laney.
Laney are just as metal as any other amp however they need to be cranked all the time to achieve it.
Title: what would you do (Laney and Engl content)
Post by: Davey on July 04, 2007, 06:19:24 PM: my preference is laney
Title: what would you do (Laney and Engl content)
Post by: Johnny Mac on July 04, 2007, 06:21:10 PM: Keep them and work out a new plan! You'll only regret it!
Title: what would you do (Laney and Engl content)
Post by: Brow on July 04, 2007, 06:24:42 PM: Goingby the way you described the tones of both the amps, I'd keep the Laney if it were me.
Title: what would you do (Laney and Engl content)
Post by: Davey on July 04, 2007, 06:27:00 PM: Quote from: Brow
Goingby the way you described the tones of both the amps, I'd keep the Laney if it were me.

exactly.. well, i'm biased, but anyway :P

super high gain like the powerball, is nothing a good distortion pedal wont fix.
Title: what would you do (Laney and Engl content)
Post by: Transcend on July 04, 2007, 06:35:09 PM: Personally id take the engl but i arnet too fond of the laney dist sound and i HATE having to use pedals to achieve the sounds i want,
Title: what would you do (Laney and Engl content)
Post by: sambo on July 04, 2007, 06:39:10 PM: Quote from: Brow
Goingby the way you described the tones of both the amps, I'd keep the Laney if it were me.

thats what i was going to say.

your personal description gives the impression that the laney is the better option to keep.

on the other hand, i wouldnt just get rid of the ENGL thinking that with the aid of a pedal, the laney will achieve whatever it is you love about the the Powerball...
Title: what would you do (Laney and Engl content)
Post by: dave_mc on July 04, 2007, 08:24:17 PM: sounds to me like you like the laney better... i think i prefer the powerball. at the end of the day, you know more than i do, as you have both sitting in front of you, though.
Title: what would you do (Laney and Engl content)
Post by: indysmith on July 04, 2007, 08:49:01 PM: i think that the powerball sounds more like what you need... I like the sound of the laney more tho, haha.
If i were you i'd keep em both! like someone's already said you'll always regret it if you don't. c'mon think of ways to make money, or at least get a shitety joe-job for the time being...
Title: what would you do (Laney and Engl content)
Post by: Crazy_Joe on July 04, 2007, 09:28:22 PM: I don't think it matters that much, both are great amps and can do what you want well, any decision is the right decision. If you sell one it's not the end of the world, there won't be a national shortage of Engl Powerball's or Laney VH100R's, you can always buy another one in the future if you want.
Title: what would you do (Laney and Engl content)
Post by: Mavet on July 04, 2007, 09:57:06 PM: the way I see it a passable clean sound can be achieved with an some effects on the powerball, whereas tightening the lany distortion would be more hard to achieve (bbe sonic stomp perhaps).
and no dist pedal can give you what a full tube head aimed at mass destruction can.
so I say keep the powerball and get a reverb pedal or something.
Title: what would you do (Laney and Engl content)
Post by: Antag on July 04, 2007, 10:14:55 PM: I would have to literally starve before I considered selling my possessions.

IMO you should keep 'em both & concentrate all your energy on getting a job - even a shitety unpleasant job that pays pittance if it'll keep the wolf from the door - doesn't have to be a lifelong careeer decision right now.

Selling either amp isn't going to get you more than a few hundred - OK, maybe several hundred for the Powerball if you're lucky, but still <1k. That's hardly going to keep you for months on end, or lift you out of poverty is it?

Sorry, that doesn't sound nice & I feel a bit bad saying it having just bought something rather nice for myself, but you'll only regret it later on.
Title: what would you do (Laney and Engl content)
Post by: Kilby on July 04, 2007, 10:33:42 PM: Quote from: Johnny Mac
Keep them and work out a new plan! You'll only regret it!

I agree with the above, it will be the hardest decision at the momentm it will provide some short term relief, but only for a short period.

Also which ever one you sell it will be the wrong one (I can guarentee that)

If you are going to see one then wait until you are disatisfied with one of them, then sell the other one like I would do (theres something wrong in that sentance, but I'm buggered if I know what it is).

Rob...

Not being funny but theres a guy who plays Hendrix covers in canary wharf underground on Friday mornings and the fecker earns a fortune (and he isn't even good). Borrow a battery amp and practice in public, and get some coin for it

If I wasn't totally shite I's do it (and I have a full time job)
Title: what would you do (Laney and Engl content)
Post by: sambo on July 04, 2007, 10:46:01 PM: Quote from: Kilby

Also which ever one you sell it will be the wrong one (I can guarentee that)

+1, couldnt agree more. i've felt that countless times.

but if you feel you have to sell one, then just think about which one your gonna miss more if it was gone... (easier said than done)
Title: what would you do (Laney and Engl content)
Post by: noodleplugerine on July 04, 2007, 10:54:57 PM: Engl all the way for me - Can't stand the distortion on modern Laneys =/

And who needs clean anyway?
Title: what would you do (Laney and Engl content)
Post by: Mr Ed on July 04, 2007, 11:21:49 PM: I'd ditch the Laney and keep the Engl.
Title: what would you do (Laney and Engl content)
Post by: hunter on July 05, 2007, 06:25:29 AM: I had a Screamer once which is the same design, and the same experience, loved that higain sound, but that was it.

You might get a great higain lead sound on the laney with a lower gain sound on the amp boosted by a tube screamer like pedal (low drive, high volume on the pedal).

What about selling the thunder and using some of the money to get a good pedal for the laney?
Title: what would you do (Laney and Engl content)
Post by: Twinfan on July 05, 2007, 08:47:19 AM: The way you talk in your post says to me that you prefer the Laney but think you should keep the Engl as it's more boutique/cool/desireable or whatever.

Keep the Laney, sell the Engl and get a good pedal for those tight/heavy sounds. The EH Metal Muff might suit you, or the Z.Vex Box of Metal which is due out shortly.
Title: what would you do (Laney and Engl content)
Post by: maliciousteve on July 05, 2007, 09:16:09 AM: Quote from: Twinfan
The way you talk in your post says to me that you prefer the Laney but think you should keep the Engl as it's more boutique/cool/desireable or whatever.

Keep the Laney, sell the Engl and get a good pedal for those tight/heavy sounds. The EH Metal Muff might suit you, or the Z.Vex Box of Metal which is due out shortly.

I did actually play with a Metal Muff earlier this year when I was trying out a Strat. Used it through some HiWatt combo and it sounded pretty awesome. Would probably have to look into that again.
Title: what would you do (Laney and Engl content)
Post by: Twinfan on July 05, 2007, 09:24:53 AM: I was using mine through my Little Rock last night - cracking tight Ozzy tones out of it. I'm really looking forward to the Box of Metal though :D
Title: what would you do (Laney and Engl content)
Post by: Crazy_Joe on July 05, 2007, 03:19:52 PM: I use a Monte Allums modded SD-1 if i need my Laney to go that heavy, it's great and i wouldn't say it looses tone.
Title: what would you do (Laney and Engl content)
Post by: maliciousteve on July 05, 2007, 03:47:31 PM: I've just got a stock SD-1 that i used to boost my Laney this afternoon and I was quite impressed. Tightened it up considerably and sounds like it would really cut through liive.
Title: what would you do (Laney and Engl content)
Post by: JamesHealey on July 11, 2007, 08:25:10 PM: play them both on your favourite settings and get a friend around and blind fold yourself "hope u can play blind".. and get them to switch the guitar chord between each one try dial them to sound as much like each other as possible.. get him to change from one to the other.

this way the price tag, looks, brand and everything else don't get factored in and your forced to choose the better amp.
Title: what would you do (Laney and Engl content)
Post by: dave_mc on July 12, 2007, 05:13:54 PM: ^ i agree, that's a good idea.
Title: what would you do (Laney and Engl content)
Post by: noodleplugerine on July 12, 2007, 05:21:33 PM: Surely the Laney is cheaper to replace and the ENGL - Being more expensive - Will depreciate more?
Title: what would you do (Laney and Engl content)
Post by: dave_mc on July 12, 2007, 05:30:49 PM: ^ another possibility. It'd be worth looking into relative costs etc., considering financial reasons are what's forcing the sale in the first place.

though obviously it's not worth keeping one you hate because it makes more financial sense (though that's not really the case in this instance...).
Title: what would you do (Laney and Engl content)
Post by: Daemon Barbeque on July 12, 2007, 08:58:28 PM: You can't tweak the Laney as you can tweak the powerball!And the Laney is easier to replaye/rebuy..So hold the Powerball ,get a Damage Control reverb/delay/chorus thing ,and ripp!
Title: what would you do (Laney and Engl content)
Post by: Crazy_Joe on July 12, 2007, 09:04:29 PM: Yeah but he won't get much for the Laney, and he obviously needs the money so the smart thing to do would be to keep the Laney and sell the Engl just because they can both do the things well and Engl will get him more cash.