Dual Rec vs. ENGL fireball...better for high gain and clean?

[thor von clemson]

I am wondering what you guys think of this. I have been looking at new guitar heads and I was wondering something. Between the two afformentioned amps, which can do high gain metal better and which has better cleans?

I would prefer something that has plenty of high gain but still has some mid crunch to it. Adding mids and backing off the gain is key to getting good metal tones imo, especially when you play live.... the presence knob has a lot to do with it as well.

Anyways, a standard dual rec vs an ENGL fireball played into a 4x12 with V30's in it. Can anyone comment on these two?

 

[Jaroslav]

Well, I can, I've had Engl Fireball before my rackmount Dual Rectifier. Recently, a friend of mine bought a Fireball so I plan to make a head-to-head comparison soon. I can now tell you my impressions from changing the Fireball for a DR.

All in all, Fireball is a very very nice amp. Great clean, great distorted, two switchable volumes, nice FX loop. It's flaws are shared gain/EQ for clean and lead. I didn't mind at all, both channels go together well. The sound is almost always good or great with any position of knobs.

Then, I got my DR (rackmount, 2ch). Much more versatile (channell EQs, FX loop, tube/ss rectifier,...), many tones available. One has to search for the tone, but once you find it it's perfect.

To compare them soundwise - Engl is brutal melting sound, gain to spare (I used 3/8 to 1/2 for death metal and at the same time it sings very nice for leads, full tone. The sound does not change radically with EQ/gain

Mesa is a quite different beast. The sound is more crushing than melting, it has high bass pressure without having excessive slow muddy bass. Single strings sing as well.

I have found a sound very simillar to he one I used to have with the Fireball on my Mesa, I remember only, that it was the orange channel, most probably on vintage with gain set quite high, I do not remember the details.

I don't use clean very often, so I cannot comment on that.

The moral is: If you can afford a DR, try it out for sure. Fireball will satisfy you as well (I wouldn't have changed, but I wanted to go the rackmount route). One final impression, Engl is somewhat "nicer" in its brutality than DR, which is simply Evil.

 

[ibanez4life SZ!]

^Great explanation. I'd have to agree on every point!

 

[Elpelotero]

you can find dual recto clips around this site and on the radio...some engl clips to be had
http://www.musicv2.com/artist/jasonbrault

also check the harmonycentral forums and browse around. lots of clips.