Introducing the ENGL Steve Morse Signature 20, a compact and versatile all-tube head with two channels, power soak options, built-in noise gate, delay, reverb, and more. Made in Germany, this amp delivers Steve Morse's precision and clarity in a powerful package.
Steve Morse, the legendary guitarist known for his work with bands like Deep Purple and the Dixie Dregs, has recently announced a new collaboration with ENGL Amps.
The result of this partnership is a small signature head that promises to deliver the perfect tone for any guitarist looking to achieve the same level of precision and clarity that Morse is known for. The new ENGL head, aptly named the Steve Morse Signature 20, is a compact and versatile amplifier that packs a punch in terms of both features and sound. With two channels, guitarists will have the ability to dial in a wide range of tones to suit their playing style.
What makes this signature head stand out is its unique preamp and power amp design. The clean channel offers a warm and articulate sound, while the lead channel delivers a classic rock tone with just the right amount of grit. With its powerful and responsive gain stage, this head produces a rich and dynamic sound that can go from smooth and creamy to aggressive and punchy with just the twist of a knob.
But that's not all the E658 also features a built-in noise gate, making it perfect for high-gain playing without any unwanted noise. And for those who want even more tonal options, the head also has a built-in delay and reverb as well some handy features like an IR loader, midi, headphone out. Whether you're a fan of Steve Morse's playing or just looking for a versatile and powerful amp, the ENGL Steve Morse Signature 20 is definitely worth checking out. With its compact size and impressive features, this head is sure to become a go-to for guitarists of all styles and genres.
- Two Channels: Clean, Lead
- All Tube Head
- Power Soak (Full Power / 20 Watts, 5 Watts, 1 Watt, Speaker Off)
- Preamp tubes: 4 x ECC83 (12AX7)
- Poweramp tubes: 2 x EL84
- Tube buffered FX Loop
- Noise Gateļ· Master Volume Boost (M.V.B.)
- Reverb
- Delay
- Midi: MIDI In (with ENGL Phantom power switch)
- Impulse Response Loader
- USB: for IR loading
- Headphone Output with Level control
- XLR Ground Lift Switch
- Store (for MIDI programming)
- Controls: Gain (separately for each channel), Bass, Middle, Treble, Lead Volume, Clean Presence, Master
- Controls (Rear): Powersoak, Noise Gate threshold level, Delay, Reverb
- Outputs: 1 x 8-16 ohms or 2 x 16 ohms
- Made in Germany
The Steve Morse Signature 20 is available now from authorized Engl Amplifiers dealers worldwide.
For more information, visit engl-amps.com.
The technical tactician and melodic monster shows how he's created a fine-tuned tonal arsenal with ultimate control.
Guitar and bass legends Steve Morse and Andy West showcase their contrasting rigsātwo amps vs. no ampsāand custom instruments on a Dregs reunion tour date in Nashville.
Steve Morse and Andy West are legendary players. In addition to co-founding the Dixie Dregs together in Augusta, Georgia, in 1970, both virtuosos have colorful personal resumes.
Guitar giant Morseās is more high-profile. He remains the leader of the Steve Morse Band, who opened the Dregsās late April show at Nashvilleās CMA Theater, where this Rundown was filmed, with 45 minutes of smart shred. Heās also been a member of Kansas and Deep Purple, as well as another instrumental powerhouse, Flying Colors.
Besides his tenure in the Dregs, West has recorded with Vinnie Moore, the Steve Morse Band, Paul Barrere, and Henry Kaiser, with whom heās been a member of the Mistakes, Crazy Backwards Alphabet, and Five Time Surprise, which also includes Messthetics guitarist Anthony Pirog. (Full disclosure: I recorded a version of Steppenwolfās āThe Pusherā with Kaiser and West as part of Kaiserās Moods & Modes of Halloween video quarterly in 2023.)
The Music City show was classic Dixie Dregs, with more than two hours of high-wire playing, all anchored by the bold melodies that mark their compositions. Joined by longtime Dregs drummer Rod Morgenstein, violinist Allen Sloan, and special guest and former Dregs keyboardist Jordan Rudess, now from Dream Theater, the concert was an affirmation of Morse and Westās vitality and musical partnership after sharing stages for more than 50 years.
In the video, Steve and Andy explain their rigs in person and in detail. Their setups:
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The Warhorse
Steveās number one guitar is literally serial No. 1āthe first Steve Morse signature model to come out of the Ernie Ball Music Man shop in 1985. Its appointments include a Tune-o-matic bridge with thumbwheel height adjustment, a roasted maple neck, Schaller tuners, a graphite-acrylic-resin-coated body cavity and aluminum-lined pickguard, master volume and a highly responsive tone control, 22 frets, and DiMarzioās Steve Morse signature pickups. Two toggles control his mix of humbuckers and single-coils. The wear makes this instrument a thing of beautyāitās clearly, like its owner, led a storied life. At the headstock, youāll notice a homemade foam mute (with Ernie Ballās name on it) that Steve fashioned to compensate for the arthritis that makes it painful to bend his hand. That said, it doesnāt seem to slow him down a bit.
The Mute
Hereās a close-up look at Steveās handmade mute. Currently, itās in muting mode. Flip it up and the strings ring open.
Next!
Steveās backup signature model has a little more chunk in its voice, and the neck pickup has more clarity, he tells us. āI could pick it up and play it all night long.ā He is using Ernie Ball Paradigm Slinky strings, gauged .009ā.042. And his picks are flexible nylon Ernie Balls with a serrated edge. āThe hard celluloid picks really impact my wrist,ā he says.
Synth-tillating!
Thereās a Roland GK-3 divided pickup at the heel of Steveās main axe, so he can use a synth to add strings and pads to accompany himself as he plays in the Steve Morse Band.
The Engl's Have Landed
Steve plays through a pair of 3-channel Engl Steve Morse signature 100-watt ampsāone wet, one dryābut his volume can go down to a whisper without losing a bit of tonal depth thanks, in part, to the ampsā careful tube interaction and circuitry. In fact, Steve says he can play his nylon-string acoustic guitar through these powerhouses. He keeps the amps on their sides to disperse the sound to the left and right.
Stack of Synths
And Steveās synth of choice is the Roland GR-55. It comes stock with 910 tones, 93 effects, and three foot-pedal controllers.
Pedal On!
His pedal chain is a Keeley Compressor, two Ernie Ball volume pedals, two TC Flashbacks, a Korg Polytune, and a foot controller for his 3-channel Engls.
Wet or Dry?
Perched atop an amp head is a GigRig wetter box, which allows Steve to fade reverb or delay into his dry-signal cabinet. The reverb and delay are generated by two adjacent TC Electronic Flashback pedals (using his own TonePrint settings) and a TC Hall of Fame reverb.
The Bass-ics
Two key components of Andyās rig are his main G. Gould 6-string bass and these flat-response EV monitors, which serve as his instrumentās audio feed on stage. Between them is a Line 6 Helix floor unitāthe sonic spine!
Good as Gould
The G. Gould was custom-made for Andy about six years ago. Despite being a 6-string, it has a 5-string neck, because he plays with a pick and prefers tight string spacing. It has a pair of EMG pickups. The neck is graphite, made by Goeff Gould, and it has two volume controls and a coil-splitter.
Second Bass
Built in 1985, this bass was designed by Andy and Geoff Gould, who was the founder of Modulus Graphite guitars. It has a graphite neck and originally had a tremolo bridge, but it started to crack the neck, due to its additional tension, so Andy had a wood block inserted plus a more conventional 6-string bass bridge. It has EMG pickups, too. The robust flame-maple finish is killer.
What's My Line 6?
Andyās amp is a Line 6 Helix floor model and he uses a few key tones, with a lot of midrange focus, some chorus, a lower octave, and overdriveāāall really subtle,ā he observes. And the signal goes directly to the EV monitors onstage. They have two 12" speakers and tweeters, and the signal also goes direct to house, of course.
Shop Dixie Dregs' Rig
Roland GK-3 Divided Pickup
Engl Steve Morse Signature 100-Watt Amps
ENGL Amplifiers E412VSB 240-watt 4 x 12-inch Amplifier Cabinet
Roland GR-55 Synthesizer
Keeley Compressor
TC Electronic Flashback
TC Electronic Hall of Fame Reverb
Ernie Ball 2023 Super Slinky Paradigm Electric Guitar Strings - .009-.042
Line 6 Helix Guitar Multi-effects Floor Processor
Electro-Voice ZLX-12P-G2 1000W 12-inch Powered Speaker Pair