A New Kind of Switch
One of the first things you notice when scanning Ironball's front panel is the bank of eight switches and LEDs next to the power and standby toggles. These low-profile, spring-loaded switches help you dive deep in the amp's functionality or keep it simple—all while accessing a full-sized rig worth of tones.
Recorded using an ESP LTD SN-1000 with Fishman Fluence pickups and a Kramer SM-1 with Seymour Duncan JB bridge and Hot Rails neck and middle pickups into the Ironball (clean and lead gains at 9:30, bass at 3 o'clock, middle at 9 o'clock, treble at 2 o'clock , lead presence at 10, lead volume at 1 o'clock, and master at max) into either a Bogner a 2x12 miked with a Royer R-121 or feeding an IR cab sim into an Audient iD44 then into GarageBand with no EQ-ing, compression, or effects.
The 2-channel E606SE doesn't just avail traditional speaker-output andonboard IR cab capabilities (via an 8-position selector). Around back you'll find controls for onboard digital reverb, digital delay (with mix, time, and feedback controls), and a very effective 1-knob noise gate. Even cooler, Ironball lets you set everything once and toggle between clean and dirty sounds with a single-function footswitch (not included). But you can also use an 2-button footswitch to switch channels and engage the lead-gain boost function, or program a MIDI controller to govern everything from amp-mute functions to IR bypass, reverb mix and tails, and delay tempo, mix, tails, and feedback. Other back-panel features: headphone out and level, XLR out, MIDI phantom power, a pre-/post-power-amp IR button, a 4-position power attenuator, a series effects loop, and dual speaker outputs.
All Ball, No Chain
When I powered up the Ironball, delay, reverb, a lead-channel gain boost, and a master-volume boost were all engaged, so the first order of business was stripping away that stuff to get a sense for the amp's core sound. As you'd expect, the lead channel has a lot of gain on tap, so the next step was tailoring the amount of dirt and balancing the generous EQ section to match my playing and my test guitars—a Fishman Fluence-loaded ESP LTD SN-1000FR, a Kramer SM-1 with Seymour Duncan JB and Cool Rail pickups, and an Eastwood Sidejack Baritone with Curtis Novak JM-WR humbuckers. My test cab was a closed-back Bogner 2x12 with Celestion Vintage 30s, and I evaluated IR functionality via both Beyerdynamic DT 880 PRO headphones and an Audient iD44 interface driving KRK Rokit7 Gen4 monitors.
Having to share EQ controls between a clean and a dirty channel can easily lead to unfortunate compromises. For instance, what if you want a semi-bright, articulate distorted sound but prefer your cleans a bit mellower? While the Ironball doesn't entirely avoid this problem, each global EQ control (bass, middle, and treble) has a lot of range, and the lead channel also smartly employs a lead volume (essentially a lead-channel master volume) and its own presence control so you can fine-tune dirty sounds. In other words, the lead-channel-only controls allow you to voice dirty tones for more heft or bite while you keep clean tones relatively sparkling. Through a real speaker cab, I found that master volume at max, clean gain at 10 o'clock, bass at 3 o'clock, middle at 9 o'clock, and treble at 2:30 worked perfectly alongside lead-gain at noon and both lead presence and lead volume at 10:30. These settings yield mean grind that is articulate and responsive to playing dynamics and volume-knob maneuvers. That means you can move from extreme metal applications to clean tones that can be fat, rich, or bluesy (with the Eastwood and ESP) or funky and spanky (with the SM-1's pickups in split-coil mode).
The Verdict
Even as a guy who prefers relatively simple pedals and amps, I'm extremely impressed with the Engl Ironball E606SE. As with most 20-watt amps, particularly high-gain ones, there's not a ton of clean headroom. You could probably still be heard over your drummer's double-kick ruckus with the dirty channel raging as high as it can go, but if you want Ironball's loveliest clean tones, you may need to mike up or use the handy rear-panel outputs for volume reinforcement. Speaking of which, Ironball's default IRs of Vintage 30-stocked 2x12 and "XXL" 4x12 cabs sound great, but it's a bummer Engl doesn't offer any other downloads for Ironball owners—especially since the company sells a separate Cabloader pedal with 12 preloaded IRs for a quarter of the price.
Nevertheless, there are many other sources for cool IRs, and the SEs strengths put it in a niche few companies currently match—particularly at this size and price. Considering many metal players don't use much more than a boost/overdrive and maybe a delay, it's easy to see Ironball being a killer-sounding all-in-one option for a good number of them—just grab your axe and a cab (or not!) and you're set for blisteringly fun action.
Home-Brew Vs. Frugal?
Visually, "Lil" Ugly's vibes veer toward spartan, even DIY. But a closer look reveals why: It packs a lot into a compact, remarkably lightweight design. Where many two-channel "lunchbox" designs sacrifice space for a shared EQ, "Lil" boasts independent controls for both. The "ugly" (dirty) side has three bands plusa mid-shift knob and a mid-boost button. The clean side, meanwhile, has bass and treble controls. Each channel has its own master and gain controls (the latter marked "volume" on the clean side). Around back are a global presence control, a series effects loop with send- and return-level knobs, dual speaker outputs (with 3-way impedance selector), a channel-selector button, a loop-engage button, and a jack for the included footswitch that controls the two latter functions.
Recorded using an Eastwood Sidejack Baritone DLX with Curtis Novak JM-HR pickups (neck, then bridge) into an Ibanez ES-2 Echo Shifter, then into "Lil" Ugly and a 2x10 cab with Celestion G10 Gold and Warehouse G10C/S speakers. Miked with a Royer R-121 feeding an Audient iD44 then into GarageBand with no EQ-ing, compression, or effects.
Construction feels solid, and the transformers are impressively hefty for an amp in this weight class. But the top corners of the folded-steel housing are just sharp enough to draw blood if you're not careful. Inside, the two large PC boards are neatly traced and wired, though the tube sockets and control pots are mounted to them rather than the chassis. Meanwhile, control pots feel well attached and appearto be chassis mounted, a factor that could affect longevity or ease and cost of repair.
Enjoyin’ the Ugly
I tested "Lil" with my baritone Eastwood Sidejack with Curtis Novak JM-WR humbuckers, routing the amp through a variety of speaker and cabinet types: a large 1x12 with a 50-watt, ceramic-magnet Weber Gray Wolf, a small 1x12 with a 35-watt alnico Celestion Ruby, and a 2x10 with a 40-watt alnico Celestion G10 Gold and a 75-watt, ceramic Warehouse G10/S. I shouldn't have been surprised at how big a difference each cab and speaker combo made, but part of it goes back to the Ugly's unique clean channel.
O'Boyle has pulled something lovely and interesting here. "Lil" cleans are fat, warm, and cushy, a little reminiscent of a lower-powered vintage Super Reverb (minus the reverb).
On many high-gain heads, especially more affordable ones, the clean channel sounds like a lower-gain version of the lead side, often yielding clinical or brittle cleans. But O'Boyle has pulled off something lovely and interesting here. "Lil" cleans are fat, warm, cushy, and a little reminiscent of a lower-powered vintage Super Reverb (minus the reverb). Because the clean channel has ample bass and leans toward the dark side, I preferred parking bass at 9 o'clock, treble at 2 o'clock, and volume (gain) at 10 o'clock for just a smidge of grit.
Given its 20-watt power rating and the fact that 5881s typically break up sooner than the 6L6s they're interchangeable with, it's no surprise that "Lil" doesn't have a lot of clean headroom. In fact, to compete with my favorite gain-channel settings, I had to push the clean master volume to max. At extreme drive-channel settings, you're unlikely to switch channels without a noticeable decibel drop or not-so-clean cleans.
Keeping the ugly channel's gain at almost 3 o'clock and master at about 11 o'clock feels like the magic recipe—availing tones seething enough for extreme metal, while ranging to Fender-y cleans in the other direction. Dirt is classically British—very Marshall-esque, but with more available saturation. Even at ferocious settings, note separation is distinct and articulation crystalline. What's more, the ugly channel responds very dynamically to pick attack, providing wide mellow-to-aggressive response without guitar-volume manipulation. To boot, the ugly channel's EQ range is generous—particularly the vast midrange, which spans honky to thin and nasal, scooped, and razor sharp.
The Verdict
Ugly Amps' "Lil" Ugly has so much going for it that the name risks undercutting its credibility. The execution may not be quite as refined as big brands, and some features might seem superfluous in big pedalboard age (presence and mid boost, for example). And the wide dirty-to-clean range mean taking extra care to find a speaker that lets both sides shine. But for the money I'm not sure there's much out there with a 1-2 punch quite like the "Lil" Ugly. Well done!