Steve Morse 20 Watt Engl Amp

[@Jay-sy5yf]

Steve seems to be such a gentleman. He's put in all the time and notes. Hope he crushes it with the new amp launch.

[@mdshack6371]

Excellent demo. I'm sold.

[@philipTOMPSETT]

Fantastic thanks. I bought the fireball 25 after your recommendation and love it, now i’ll have to save up for this too.

[@lucianradusart]

This has more fx and has a more smoother drive

[@bobs2809]

My favorite small tube amp by far is still the mesa mark V25. Sounds like anything from a great clean fender to a great vintage marshall right through to modern distortion. Love your channel!

[@geraldrauch1701]

I started with the mark v:25...but eventually graduated to the big boy mark IV...I had my mark v:25 on the mark IV mode all the time...cheers!!!

[@sirtogii5216]

This, is exactly what an amp review should be. Take note everybody else making "reviews" aka sales pitches on youtube. As good as this sounds I still have the Synergy 50 on my wish list, but starting to wonder...

[@Halfaloaf599]

Holy crap!!!! Love that amp sound.

[@slowbend4390]

Engl-Nut here: The later Ironball SE also got the Lead Presence instead of the general Presence for both channels. Engl often updates amps without making it a new model or version. But makes it also hard for techs, since the internals can be slightly different in the same model depending on the build version. Also some good to know things: - M.V.B. means Master Volume Boost. It just pushes the master up a few db. You can also use it to push the power tubes more into saturation if you use the master above 5. (depending on other settings) - The Ironball SE and Steve Morse 20 have a changed Gain Boost in difference to the older Engl Amps. The new boost pushes up the gain of the channel and also adds more mids. To get the same out of for example the old Gigmaster, you would have to enable the Gain Boost and the Mid Boost at the same time. (Also the same can be done with a mid-heavy booster pedal.) - The USB on the back can also update the Firmware on the amp. For example if you have problems with your MIDI switch, the heros at Engl might be able to help you this way. Worked for my Boss ES-5 like a charm. (But! This will wipe your saved MIDI settings on the amp!) You will usually not need this, but I think its nice that the software is not hard baked. - You can switch the IR out to use the signal before or after the power stage. If you load a flat IR, you can also output the preamp signal for some DAW magic. - You can hold the delay and reverb button to enable/disable tails. - A lot of dials influence other dials. So pushing up the mids will give you another sound than rolling back bass and treble the same amount while compensating the volume. The only thing i would like to add to the amps is an auto / cathode bias so I can change the tubes myself. But this affects tone, so maybe its better like it is. Anyway, these are loveley amps and are so much more than the metal machines Engl is known for.

[@Mitch.Engel84]

Excellent information. With the updates to the Ironball SE, would you choose it over the Steve Morse 20?

[@slowbend4390]

@@Mitch.Engel84 The simple solution would be: If you prefer more modern sounds get the Ironball SE, if you prefer warmer/darker sounds get the Steve Morse. Both are swiss army knife amps that give the full range from clean to high gain and have basically the same feature set. So it comes down to which base sound you want more. :) I personally prefer the Ironball SE, but I generally prefer the sound of the Engl Ball-Amps (Pwerball, Fireball, Ironball, ...) and like modern sounds. But I could do almost everything with the Steve Morse with a little tweaking on the dials.

[@mylogify]

Absolutely happy owning Ironball Se. Very versatile amp. So quality FX, IR loader, Xlr di output, headphone cab section much more… made in Germany. Recommended.

[@FastRedPonyCar]

As someone who has been gigging cab-less for the last year or two, these lunchbox amps with built in attenuators and IR loaders is an absolute blessing. I've got the new Morse amp on my list to demo and take on stage but as someone who typically prefers using my delverb for reverb and delay, I still think that the Fireball 25 running line out into my OX Stomp will be what I enjoy more but I'm definitely going to give them both a show on stage to see how they do.

[@tmsglobal5848]

Phil, thanks for the deep dive on the amp, its features and using them in various settings. Looking forward to checking one out.

[@jimtryon9721]

Thanks Phil. Great amp and as always,a great video!!👍

[@scottreynolds5455]

Hi everyone. Been thinking about an ENGL. Currently I have an ENGL amp room on my Volt 2 interface. Kind of sucks because there is a slight delay on the input side of the system. get some really good sounds. I saw Steve Morse on one of his solo tours down in San Juan Capistrano, Ca in 91' of 92' I think. He is amazing as was the rest of his band. Small venue as well. They even left the tables and chairs in the mosh pit. I think minimum wage was about 5 bucks an hour. Thanks Phil great show.

[@hellsSG]

Engl seems like such a cool company. My first tube amp was a Thunder 50 and i don't know how they keep prices so reasonable, if they use lower quality components or do not innovate as much but their stuff sounds great. And Steve Morse is the man.

[@stevelegget8454]

I've got the 25 FB, the 1 watt is still damn loud!! Amazing amp...

[@richardnagamitsu1582]

Wow, definitely a contender for my next amp. Also considering the Soldano Astro and Synergy.

[@michaelgentlemaniac757olse5]

Love it,great job

[@thesmellycatjazz]

Looks like a really good all-in-one amp, especially if you can get foot switches for the presets/FXs.

[@hbo001]

EQ pedal - midi controllable can fix the issue of shared amp EQ section between clean and dirty channel. You can use different voicing when playing through the cabinet or IR output.

[@PeterMcCracken-n3g]

Awesome Phillip, great amp just like Steve's big boy.

[@Yardbird68]

LOVE watching your reviews whether I plan to get one or not.

[@claudiajay8291]

I love that the new fireball is so light …easy to carry to a friends house to jam.

[@matthewsommerville88]

This man taught me how to fix my guitars myself. Just saying that, appreciate ya

[@tuplalfred]

Great, your playing was on point today, I can tell you really enjoy using the ENGL 20 Steve Morse!

[@kelleybryan4775]

Dude I want one so Bad they are not quite out yet! Saw Steve Play his at Andy Woods Guitar Experience! last weekend!! It was magical weekend

[@michaelgotthardt4727]

Darn you, Phil. I had just convinced myself that I was set on my amp choices.

[@The-11]

Phil , you've found your Swiss Army Knife amp !

[@stewy4158]

That's a nice amp. Great review.

[@WilliamHaisch]

20:15 “I got a fever… and the only prescription is… more Engl amp bell!” 😂

[@Lenser]

Great review. Those small EL84's will never sound as massive as the 6L6's as with the Fireball 25.

[@gostartaband1137]

A Thomann affiliate link would be good too if possible. Thanks

[@tomlin5150]

MVP is a volume boost. You can also save more then one setting of the delay and reverb to the midi controller. But you can't change channels via midi

[@Sic20189]

Chaning the channel can also asigned to midi, but not the channel settings.

[@gorlagOv]

I have the Ironball SE it seems like a very similar amp. I love it!

[@Omega-Ignition]

Engl are the best amps I’ve ever used

[@stephenwinchester6668]

The fireball 25 rips, especially paired with the Engl 2x12 vertical 🤘

[@Lenser]

That combo is killer.

[@mikekozi-lester3887]

Hi Guitar 🎸 Guy nice video 📹 and workmanship I like it at 0 before you changed it

[@mazukakai]

Great review. Looks like it's time to replace my Gigmaster 15.

[@benbardwell7405]

Looks awesome, I'm tempted. What would be a good small cabinet to pair with the amp please

[@linkthelegend6087]

ENGL E112VSB 1 x 12. It's a little bit pricy but it's German made and has the Celestion Vintage 30 speaker. Good investment for long term.

[@benbardwell7405]

@linkthelegend6087 thank you

[@GuitarGearGyan]

Now I NEED an ENGL in my life!!!!

[@menschlicheswesen84]

I got a metal master head new for 599€...! Maybe one of my best deals ever... Love this amp...

[@rg2550zgw]

MVB switch = Master Volume Boost +2dB on the master volume Steve Morse even states that in his demo of the amp

[@lordofthewolves5292]

Sounded Great! What Cabinet? The Speakers in the cabinet?

[@timchalmers1700]

Very cool! And very interesting !

[@BrunodeSouzaLino]

It's gonna be a weird tie, but my choice of small amps would either be the Laney Foundry Dual Top or the Laney Supergroup LA-Studio. They're 60W and 3W each, both can be used without a cab and have speaker emulation. Main difference here is the Dualtop is solid state while the LA Studio is a tube amp.

[@hybrydsanity5857]

I noticed you reviewed the Ironball SE in the past how would you compare it to this Morse 20 , which is better I see they have the same features except the presence knob is only for clean on the morse and only the the gain channel on the ironball..

[@marzarnold9039]

Does seem to be a very nice all around amp and I've heard those Engls are reliable. I would consider it.

[@friendsofsandra]

Thank you for this great review! I just bought the Fireball 25 - does the Steve Morse Amp Clean and Classic Rock much better?

[@kentjackson3830]

Hey Phill nice review. This amp certainly isn’t too bright, and that with a Strat type. Would have like to hear a LP type I to it to verify. Still not sure why you never reviewed the Friedman JEL 20. If you do get some time with one, spend some time with ch 1 the plexi channel. Does beautiful cleans but gets righteous with gain up. Channel 2 more gain to be had and a sat switch works on both channels.

[@therealone1288]

Sticking to fireball25 (which i bought cause of your vid in the end.. hoping affiliate link worked btw). I wanna see more of these amps! I want so many engl amps but theyre too powerful. 25 watt version of savage plzz

[@tgunmusicchannel1973]

I always worry how these amps with digital components will be able to be serviced if you have an issue years in the future. What's your thoughts on that Phil?

[@Avatar7x7]

The amp sounds great on this demo.. is it loud enough to gig with a loud drummer.. especially the clean channel ?

[@PhillipMcKnight]

Yes, I jammed with some friends with no issues.

[@troygriffen9200]

Phil, do you have any videos on how to bias a tube amp?

[@mikegoodwin1498]

So I read that the amp sounds dark until the treble is above 3 o’clock . Also if you really were recording at 70 dB that could contribute as well

[@hardstones17]

What decibel meter are you using by chance? I would like one just to keep volumes reasonable in my room. As fun as loud is, I do want to keep my ears!

[@oldmanshreds]

This is it. This is the amp.

[@southpawOO7]

So who's winning between the Steve Morse and the Mark V:25?

[@chrisggoodwin777]

If I played guitar more, I'd snag one of these in a heartbeat. For now, I'll stick with the Bad Cat (also a Phil -influenced purchase lol)

[@Paul_Lenard_Ewing]

Impressive!!! I would pass only because I need 85dB with a drummer. At least until they start making drummers with a volume knob. I am starting to think Friedman IR-D dual preamp. It's the lower gain JTM-45 type version. I would set one channel clean and the other a light Crunch and use my pedals. Add a Type D power amp going into a single 12 and I got all the 'how loud' needed covered.

[@philipdesailles5286]

Have you tried out the Friedman JEL 20 Watts amplifier

[@livio1396]

how well do you find this amp takes pedals? I got the ironball SE and man overdrive pedals sound so so bad thgrough the clean channel it got me very disappointed (the gain channel is sick though)

MVB = master volume boost. Essentially a solo boost

[@matthewgonzales3970]

I understand the issue with the clean channel. That's why I never use them. 😂 I just set the drive channel where it cleans up with the guitar's volume knob. I came up playing a vintage Marshall, so I got used to using the guitar volume to get clean, and it sounded fantastic.

[@T00DEEPBLUE]

I still prefer the Fireball. If I want the options like reverb, delay and cab simulation, I'd buy pedals to do that instead. They do a better job and are more versatile. The MIDI is the only additional feature that interests me.

[@JonOden]

This seems like as well a sneaky good metal amp, Kyle Bull hit it with some active pickups and it sounded killer. Throw an EQ in the loop or in front to compensate for the lack of presence on the lead channel and you pretty much have it. Though maybe it was possible to do that on the Ironball SE as well the reverse direction?

[@roxyroo7042]

That guitar and that amp have upped your game bud. Good job. Sounding great.

[@6MileHouse]

I have a couple of questions. How is the headroom and overall volume compared to the FB 25? I was checking the FB 25 out and this amp suddenly came on the radar. They both sound really good to me but the SM 20 has a few more welcome features. I need to know if it's loud enough to hang with a drummer without having the tone fall apart.

[@BOSSenjoyer]

I want the Fireball 25 with Mesa open-back 4x10 cab

[@oneszeros1]

Vs. Marshall SV20H?

[@GerhardGeficky-jg4ok]

How does it compare to the PRS Mark Tremonti that is actually quite excellent IMHO

[@ResponseAudio]

Great sounding amp with a ton of features! Lots of "smack" to the clean channel notes.

[@erichoogerhyde1362]

So do you like this better than the Amplified Nation amps?

[@timrod1984]

Oh no, now I want to buy one

[@lespaulguy.9700]

I don’t understand why amplifier manufacturers don’t take advantage of concentric pots. This way you can have separate EQ without more chassis space.

[@tiagoramalhais5493]

Indeed, the EVH lbx have a couple of concentric but I don't recall any existing amp with a concentric pot tone stack

[@dananthony6258]

The only way to really test an amp is to record it in a mix of what type of music you will be playing.

[@miguelangelrodrigorodrigo1249]

Este suena muy bien en la mezcla,te lo aseguro

[@RobertSvilpaMusic]

FFS... I'm going to give your name to my lawyer as to why my wife is divorcing me. (LOL) That is such a sweet sounding amp, when I'm back to the plus column in my finances this will be on the acquisition list

[@mikegoodwin1498]

This recording sounds muffled a bit. Compare with the Big Hairy guitars and Steve’s own demo for Sweetwater

[@metalceesie219]

is it loud enough for rehearsal and on stage live?

[@Zwidawurzn]

should be easily enough

[@99mmpick]

The best part of the Steve Morse 100 is mid matrix which the SM 20 doesn't have

[@georgesimeone6292]

Is it solid state?

[@Yardbird68]

It's got tubes. Check out what Phillip says at the 11:40 mark.

[@georgesimeone6292]

@@Yardbird68 yes, I spoke too soon

[@mikekozi-lester3887]

Hi Guitar 🎸 Guy nice video 📹 and workmanship I liked it at 0 at humbutel

[@RogersMotorcycleAdventures]

I'm a Steve Morse freak, and I'd absolutely love an amp like this, but $3,000 AUD here in Australia...I'm afraid that's a bit dear for me. Sometimes it's no fun living on the ass end of the world.

[@setok.7134]

I wish the Steve Morse 20Watt amp came in the same size as Engl Fireball 25. I feel like these lunch box amps have a weird aesthetic on 212 vertical cabs.

[@shane011471]

Cool little head and it sounds good. The problem with it is going to be when it lets out the magic smoke when it is no longer in warranty. Why are we trying our best to turn a simple valve amp in to a computer? Every extra component that you add is just another potential point of failure. I do not need OR want delay or even reverb built in as I have pedals for that and they do a better job. These little lunchbox style heads have everything packed so tight that it makes repair far more expensive and difficult. Take H&K for an example as not one amp tech that I know (Only two) will even touch them and if you look at a schematic for one you will see why. Stupidity complex (for no damn reason) with that auto bias crap that fails and it's all packed tight with PCB's on top of PCB's that you can't even get your leads in to test a component without taking the whole damn thing apart at which point you can't even test anything with it powered up on a variac. Sure, it's nice and sounds good until it doesn't.

[@alexfurst1397]

That's really no issue if you have a competent tech in your area. I know it's not an apples to apples comparison, but I had a weird problem with my Fireball 25 and the Engl-certified tech near me repaired it outside of warranty. I am not the original owner, so who knows how it was treated before I owned it. Engl had not even heard of the problem I was experiencing, but the tech was able to fix it and passed along the information to Engl for future reference. Will the digital features on this amp be more difficult to fix than a more traditional circuit like the Fireball? Yes. However, I suspect Engl will stand by their products, unlike EVH who want to swamp entire circuit boards instead of tracing the problem to the component level.

[@shane011471]

@@alexfurst1397 I never said that it could not be fixed as it will just be far more expensive to do so, and many amp techs will not even want to bother with it. If a product is under warranty, it costs less money to just swap out the entire board than trying to troubleshoot and fix at the component level as labor is the most expensive part of just about every repair and that is why it is done, and all brands do the same. If I wanted all this crap in an amp, I would just get a Digital modeler. Do I need delay with a noise gate, reverb and cab simulation and on and on in a damn valve amp? The answer is no. I think the reason why this is done is because all these companies know that valve amps are dying and on life support, so they are throwing the kitchen sink at them (for a lack of a better term) to appeal to buyers, and it makes them not very far from digital modelers as when they die, they end up as e-waste. When my father passed away, I was left with a 1972 Hiwatt DR 103 and after service it is going strong over half a damn century later and I can promise you that you will never be able to say the same thing about this amp!

[@catsmeow971]

Sounds really nice.. but out of my $$$ range for now

[@nellayema2455]

It sounds good! $1600 isn't bad, but still a bit pricey for me. Someone should make a simple 20 or 30W head with 2 good, dedicated channels (each with their own tone stack) with an effects loop, lots of clean headroom, and without all the bells and whistles. Play clean or dirty, and use pedals for effects or heavy gain. Am I just old-fashioned/out of date?

[@mathtrixmusiclix4248]

PRS MT 15

[@JohnWiku]

PRS MT-15

[@jconner3891]

Evh stealth 50

[@wesleymorris1]

Head shouldnt cost that much, combos yes becuase you got the cab and speaker, but the tubes cost as much as transformers these days. You spend easy 500 on trannys and 400 on tubes if your buying expensive on tubes. Thats prob why the cost is higher. I could build that amp for about 700 in parts. Thats with heybooer trans, or even hammond.

[@mathtrixmusiclix4248]

@@wesleymorris1 let me know when you post the demo video!

[@MotownGuitarJoe]

I can't believe how badly I want this dang thing! And I don't like "real amps". If ever got this thing I would literally set it on the floor next to my pedalboard and go direct FOH. No cab..

[@LouCondon-j1v]

I would rather spend a little more and get a full size head with the Fireball amp.

[@MrMoneyHelper]

Sounds good, but I would prefer only reverb and tremolo in amps. I could do without any effects and use the pedals I choose that suit me. Good job Engl.

[@Oogiesgarage]

$1600 no thanks I’d rather get a 5150III lunch box

[@davidsparks6146]

Any amp that has a foot switch option,...but does not include it,... is automatically dropped from my potential list of purchases! No Pedal? No dice!

[@rickhill6277]

Kinda like the Blackstar St. James EL34 It's been Pre-EQ'd by the Factory so once you set the EQ for the CLEAN CHANNEL (EQ'd for an American Clean Amp Twin), the OVERDRIVE CHANNEL (EQ'd for a VOX Top Boost) has too many highs and mids. You'd need two Amps set to your EQ. There's NO compromise! Has a lot of IR settngs and is Great for Recording though!! Just sounds like the way THEY want it NOT ME!!

[@recklesstoboggan]

LOVE the Fireball 25. Absolutely rips...as do the many big brothers it has. The Ironball SE, and this Steve Morse SE, just sound and function too much like a Boss MZ-2 Digital Metalizer to me.

[@GerhardGeficky-jg4ok]

$1600 better be made in Germany or US.

[@Zwidawurzn]

It's made in tranquil Tittmoning in southern Germany like any other Engl amp edit: he even says it at 4:33

[@JasonChannell]

Steve Morse's Y2D guitars are pretty high output and not particularly bright. (Had one of these for years)

[@strings53notlob50]

Anybody have any experience or thoughts on the KT77 Fireball 25 LTD?