Re: expecting a diffent basic tone from either Fender or Marshall: Neither Fender nor Marshall are about to throw away their respective babies with the bath water at this point. However, I can see your point re: wanting a tone that's different. After playing a JCM800 for many years, I went for a Splawn, which is similar to the 800 but with higher resolution and better sound. The gain structure is the same, though.
ENGL's basic tone is that of a modded Marshall in many respects, but the Diezel definitely has a sound all its own. I use a VH-4 @ rehearsal most weeks -- very versatile amp!