When was ENGL founded? Why was ENGL founded?
JG
ENGL was founded back in 1983 by Edmund Engl — so 2023 is our 40th anniversary as a company! It all started very small: Edmund wasn’t an electronics freak, but he was a mechanically savvy musician who realized even back then that programmable amps were the future. He wanted to prioritize amazing guitar tones and technological innovation together, and he dreamed of an amplifier that could provide pro-quality sounds while also giving guitarists supreme flexibility and versatility in their performances.
He dreamed of an analog, made-in-Germany amp with footswitchable presets even back then! With that in mind, he came together with his tech-expert friend Horst Langer and they got started from home. So, Horst became Engl’s technical mastermind from day one, and he was able to make Edmund’s crazy ideas into reality. As we all now know, it was a partnership that worked incredibly well right from the off, and 40 years later, Edmund Engl and Horst Langer are still the driving forces behind every new ENGL innovation.
How are ENGL amplifiers different from your competitors’? What are some of the unique features that ENGL has pioneered?
JG
ENGL amps have always featured a number of unique innovations that make them stand out from the crowd. Perhaps the most important is the tone: we have never compromised in this area one bit! By now, every guitar player in the world knows this. When it comes to technical innovations, though, this goes back to day one as well. Our first amp hit the Frankfurt Musikmesse trade fair in 1984, and it changed the way guitarists thought about making music
… that was our first programmable amp, and really, the world’s!
Back in those days, two channels and a Master Volume were considered quite exotic, but ENGL changed all that, and ever since then, we’ve been at the forefront of what is possible with technology. Amps like the Savage, which first appeared in 1993 and brought unprecedented programmability to the market, and the Powerball — with its integrated noise gate, tube-protection circuits, and serial amp control interface — really changed the game for guitar players everywhere and also made other amp companies up their game to try and compete. Then there’s the quirkier innovations we’re famed for, like the four separate mids controls we put on Steve Morse’s signature amp! I don’t think anyone else has ever done that, but Steve loves his mids, and that’s what he wanted
… and so he got it!
What typifies the “ENGL sound”? Who is the typical ENGL customer?
JG
Most people associate ENGL with heavy metal and hard-rock tones. And they’d be right to, because the world’s biggest heavy-music guitarists have used ENGL over the years, and we’re lucky to have been able to produce signature amps with a number of them, like Ritchie Blackmore, Steve Morse, Marty Friedman, and Victor Smolski — to name just a few!
But, that said, ENGL is about way more than just metal: our true tonal goal is to make the best-sounding amps out there, whatever the guitarist is playing at the time. That means that the ENGL sound is typified by shimmering cleans, thick and rich crunches, and yes, crushing high-gain tones, and all of them of the highest quality.
This also reflects on the typical ENGL player
… we are extremely lucky in a way because we have such a great reputation among rock and metal guitarists. Most players in these genres aspire to own an ENGL amp right from the first day they pick up a guitar, and once they get an ENGL, they stay there! That said, though, sometimes I’m happiest when I see players coaxing amazing blues and cleaner tones out of ENGL amps
… because those sounds are in there too! And, at the end of the day, the typical ENGL player is someone who demands the highest-quality tones from their amp, while at the same time requiring the best in flexibility and control wherever and whenever they’re plugging in.
What differentiates each of ENGL’s series of amplifiers from one another? The Fireball? The Invader? The Powerball? The Savage? The Ironball? The Artist Edition? What types of players gravitate towards each series?
JG
Over the 40 years we’ve been making amps, we’ve produced products of every shape, size, and style. These days, the times are dictating that amps get smaller and more feature rich
… guitarists want a single box that they can use for everything, from silent recording and home practice to full-on gigs, but they also still want the best tube tones! That’s what amps like the Ironball E606SE and Fireball 25 offer: made-in-Germany quality and incredible tube tones paired with all the best in digital control and innovation in a lunchbox format. These are amps that you can use to do anything and take anywhere.
But, that said, the demand for the big boys is still there: there are still players who demand a full-size, 100-watt tube head for the sheer power, tone, and the visual aspect on stage, too, and this is where the likes of the Invader, Savage, Powerball, and Fireball 100 models deliver. These days, these full-size monster amps have all the latest tech mod cons as well, but first and foremost, they’re powerful, crushing stage amps used to shake the walls at gigs!
ENGL is known for your amp heads. Are your amplifiers available in other configurations? Combos? Rackmount?
JG
Yes! We might be most well-known for our amp heads, but we do currently offer an Ironball combo because there’s always a certain kind of player who really wants to take the all-in-one thing 100% seriously and have the speaker cab attached too. It’s the ultimate convenience in that way. We’ve also made a bunch of rack gear over the years, and we currently have a number of preamp and power amp rackmount modules available. Rack gear seems to be permanently in the state of making a comeback at the moment, and we’re extremely happy to be a part of that!
What’s unique about ENGL cabs? What types of speakers does ENGL employ?
JG
Its starts with our hand-welded front grille that creates a unique look and that’s also very important for our sound! Just like our amps, and they’re perfectly tuned to one another for optimal tonal results. We use Celestion speakers — Vintage 30s are our favorite — and 14-ply birch plywood to create cabs that are totally rugged and durable and perfect for life on the road! We also make cabs in a variety of sizes, from the traditional 4x12s to vertical and horizontal 2x12s (which are absolutely ideal for our lunchbox heads) and 1x12s
… and who could forget our iconic E412XXL?! This is the one if you’re into metal and need a super-fat low-end mixed with tight mids. In short, we have a cab that’s the perfect match for every type of player!
What’s the ENGL Custom Shop? How does a player go about getting a custom-built amplifier?
JG
We’ve been getting requests from players for years to make custom ENGL amps, and in 2020, we decided that now was the time to make this a reality! The ENGL Custom Shop gives players the chance to design an ENGL amp that is unique to them: they can choose the kind of amp they want, the color scheme, the lights, the Tolex, the knobs, the corners
… and get a matching cab, too, if they so desire! And these creations are built by hand by our ENGL master builders here in Germany.
For any ENGL fan, it’s the ultimate dream: an incredible-sounding amp, unparalleled in its build quality, totally unique and to their own design, that they can cherish for life! All they need to do to start the process is get in touch with their Sweetwater Sales Engineer. We'll work with them and their Sales Engineer personally every step of the way.
What are some of ENGL’s other innovations that we haven’t covered?
JG
There are too many to cover here, so I’ll speak about a couple that I personally love. We kind of touched on some earlier when talking about the programmability of our earliest amps. Back then, this was a revolutionary thing, and now, every amp worth its salt needs to have an element of programmability. So in that way, I am super proud of how this innovation really helped shape the entire guitar amp industry over the past 40 years and still does today.
Another amp and innovation I have to mention here is our Artist Edition 100 E651. This amp has a very special history! It’s our hidden gem and started out as a secret prototype that became legendary as it passed between the iconic studios of Los Angeles. It was based on the E650 Ritchie Blackmore amps and designed as an amp for Doug Aldrich back in 2005. It was supposed to feature a few modifications, and the concept was clear: easy handling, practical features, and peak performance. But somehow, this amp never saw the light of day and never got released. However, it ended up in our showroom in LA, where it was played and loved by the likes of Jimmy Page, Ken Hammer, Vivian Campbell, Paul Stanley, and Scott Gorham, Gary Moore
… and finally we took the decision to release it! And of course, it’s awesome. It’s a unique innovation, created and sculpted by guitar legends for everyone else to enjoy today.
I’m also really proud of the fact that we’re still handcrafted in Germany
… these days, that is an incredibly unique selling point and I consider it an innovation in that way — people buying ENGL are also looking for superior build quality, and they can always expect this from us.
And, finally, moving into later 2023 and beyond, there are a number of great innovations coming from ENGL. Edmund and Horst and the whole development team are still hard at it, and there’s no end to their passion for creating the next great ENGL amplifier
… so stay tuned for those!
