Description

The Modern Rock Pre-Amp is the most criminally underrated offering from ENGL Amplification.  This is a 2 Channel amp with independent EQ sections and 2 gain modes on each channel.  Further tone shaping options include a Bright Switch and Mid Contour Switch. I mean, for heaven’s sake, it has both Hi-Mid and Low-Mid knobs on the gain channel.   You can obviously pair this with an ENGL E840 Tube Power Amp to make make the rackmount rig of your dreams, but the coolest feature on the E530 has to be the 1.5w solid state power amp, allowing it to power a cab on its own.  You can have quiet practice sessions using the same rig you play out with (and you don’t even have to unplug anything in the back of the rig to do it).  Just imagine being able to show your bandmates your riffs at such a reasonable volume level that you can hear them scoff at how whack your writing is. Incredible!  If getting a slice of that ENGL sound at this price wasn’t awesome enough for you, how would you feel if I told you there was also a headphone output, FX Loop, Aux In, and Stereo Line Outputs? Pretty darn great I bet. That is exactly how you should feel.

Tonally, I feel like this model lives somewhere between the Fireball 100(the Darkest and Thickest ENGL offering) and the Artist Edition (their El34 Britishy, mid-forwardy fellow).  Different power amp pairings will have some effect on the overall sound. However. It is my opinion that ENGL amps are all very much defined by their pre-amp gain structure.  So they retain their sonic characteristics despite the power amp sections. If you have played the two aforementioned models, you should have an idea of how this one handles.  If you haven’t, do yourself a favor and stop by our shop and see how fun it is to play through any ENGL.