So I've tried tons of different Engl amps and my favorite one would be a tie between the Victor Smolski and the Savage. But I'm still not sure if these amps are really for me. On one hand both the Savage and Smolski (and pretty much all the other engls I played) had great clarity, were ridiculously tight (possibly the tightest amps I've ever played), had a nice grind, and my favorite part was how well they chugged. None of the other high gain amps I've tried (Diezel, Splawn, Diamond, Mesa, Fryette, Soldano, etc.) chugged the way the engls did. But, what I disliked about them was they sounded overly smooth, polished, and almost like I was hearing a recording of an amp rather than a real amp. There just something about all the engls I played that sounded artificial. I know that engls are generally known to have that sort of sound, but I heard that the savage and invader were different, but to me definitely not. Both engls also sounded muffled and too compressed unless I turned both the treble and presence way up. IMO they lacked the rawness and aggression I usually go for. I compared both engls side by side with a Diamond Nitrox, which were all played through a diamond cab and to me the Nitrox sounded so much better and the guy at the store agreed with me even though the nitrox was cheaper than both engls. Also, at a different place I compared the savage to a Laney, which in comparison to the savage was a little loose and muddy, but also sounded open, raw, aggressive, unrefined, and very authentic. One of the guys in the store said that the savage almost sounded like a modeling amp in comparison. I guess the only thing about the engls that really appeals to me is how they chug because there are plenty of amps I've played that are at least as clear and also very tight. I guess I almost convinced myself already to skip engl :lol: but what do you guys think?
