The Engl Fireball 25 Goldface is an Engl amplifier, currently around $866.84. Close alternatives include the Friedman Pink Taco V2 1x12 Combo and the EVH 000. It pairs well with the Beetronics Buzzter Boost Preamp and the Z.Vex Super Hard On.
Engl Fireball 25 Goldface
Engl · amplifier
The ENGL Fireball 25 Goldface is a 25-watt all-tube 2-channel guitar amplifier in a limited goldface cosmetic finish from ENGL Amplification, Germany. The Fireball 25 delivers the ENGL Fireball high-gain character — tight, aggressive, mid-forward Lead channel — at 25W, allowing natural power tube saturation at lower volumes than the 100W Fireball. The Goldface finish is a cosmetic variant of the standard Fireball 25 with identical circuit and performance.
What stands out
“The ENGL Fireball 25 Goldface is chosen by players who want the famous Fireball tight, aggressive high-gain character at a more manageable 25W for home recording, smaller venues, and studio use”
— from the community notes
“mid-forward lead channel”
— from the listing
“The lower wattage achieves natural tube saturation at home and studio volumes while retaining the Fireball aggressive attack and low-end tightness”
— from the reviews
“A premium compact ENGL option for players who prioritise the Fireball Lead channel quality in a lower-power format”
— from the reviews
“The Goldface finish is a cosmetic variant of the standard Fireball 25 with identical circuit and performance”
— from the listing
- aggressive
- high gain
- tight
- lead
- natural
- studio
- saturation
- tube
Good for
- Live
- Practice
- Studio
Price updated Oct 24, 2026
Genres the Engl Fireball 25 Goldface is commonly used in
- Metal
cited
Inferred from shared tonal signals, not a stated genre tag. - Hard Rock
cited
Inferred from shared tonal signals, not a stated genre tag. - Djent
cited
Inferred from shared tonal signals, not a stated genre tag. - Heavy Metal
cited
Inferred from shared tonal signals, not a stated genre tag. - Metalcore
cited
Inferred from shared tonal signals, not a stated genre tag. - Death Metal
cited
Inferred from shared tonal signals, not a stated genre tag.
Pedals that stack with the Engl Fireball 25 Goldface
Beetronics Buzzter Boost Preamp
Beetronics
20% matchpushes an already-dirty tonePushes an already-dirty tone harder and tightens it up. (high gain → clean boost)
Beetronics Buzzter Boost Preamp takes that high gain character and pushes it toward clean boost
Goes in front of the amp
Z.Vex Super Hard On
Zvex
19% matchpushes an already-dirty tonePushes an already-dirty tone harder and tightens it up. (high gain → clean boost)
Z.Vex Super Hard On takes that high gain character and pushes it toward clean boost
Goes in front of the amp
Shin's Music Dumbloid
Shins Music
18% matchpushes an already-dirty tonePushes an already-dirty tone harder and tightens it up. (high gain → tight)
Shin's Music Dumbloid takes that high gain character and pushes it toward tight
Goes in front of the amp
TC Electronic Corona Chorus
TC Electronic
16% matchsits in the right chain slotPlaced for where it does its job cleanly in the chain, not for a tonal interaction with the anchor. (high gain → lush)
Run TC Electronic Corona Chorus after Engl Fireball 25 Goldface in the signal chain, clear of Engl Fireball 25 Goldface's own gain stage
Goes in front of the amp
TC Electronic Triple Flashback Delay
TC Electronic
15% matchsits in the right chain slotPlaced for where it does its job cleanly in the chain, not for a tonal interaction with the anchor.
Keep TC Electronic Triple Flashback Delay in Engl Fireball 25 Goldface's effects loop, clear of Engl Fireball 25 Goldface's own gain stage — goes in the amp's FX loop (or last, into a clean amp)
Sits in the amp's effects loop
Crazy Tube Circuits Golden Ratio
Crazy Tube Circuits
15% matchshapes the dynamic responseShapes how the tone responds to picking dynamics rather than its frequency or gain.
Crazy Tube Circuits Golden Ratio leans toward tight, and that's a real, usable character to pair with
Goes in front of the amp
Cusack Music Reverb SME
Cusack Music
14% matchsits in the right chain slotPlaced for where it does its job cleanly in the chain, not for a tonal interaction with the anchor. (high gain → ambient)
Keep Cusack Music Reverb SME in Engl Fireball 25 Goldface's effects loop, clear of Engl Fireball 25 Goldface's own gain stage — goes in the amp's FX loop (or last, into a clean amp)
Sits in the amp's effects loop
EarthQuaker Devices Swiss Things
EarthQuaker Devices
Boutique & premium upgrades
Friedman Pink Taco V2 Combo
Friedman
66% similarityShared character: recording, natural, aggressive playing
EVH 5150 Iconic Series 60W 2x12 Combo
Evh
55% similarityShared character: studio, punchy, aggressive playing
Friedman RUNT-20 Combo
Friedman
54% similarityShared character: small venues, recording, natural
3rd Power Dragon 45 112 Combo
3rd Power
46% similarityShared character: studio, lower volumes, attack
Friedman JJ-Junior Combo
Friedman
43% similarityShared character: recording, natural, high gain settings
Hughes & Kettner TC412A60
Hughes & Kettner
43% similarityShared character: punchy, aggressive playing, high gain settings
Similar charactersee all similar tone character →
Friedman Pink Taco V2 1x12 Combo
Friedman
62% similarityShared character: recording, natural, aggressive playing
EVH 000
Evh
55% similarityShared character: high gain settings
EVH 51450 Iconic
Evh
45% similarityShared character: punchy, attack, aggressive playing
Vox MV50 Rock with 1x8 Cabinet
Vox
45% similarityShared character: aggressive playing, high gain settings
Blackstar S1-45
Blackstar
45% similarityShared character: studio, aggressive playing, clean
Gibson GA-40
Gibson
44% similarityShared character: studio, aggressive playing, lead
See all alternatives to the Engl Fireball 25 Goldface (cheaper + boutique) →
Questions people ask
What are good alternatives to the Engl Fireball 25 Goldface?+
The closest matches in character are the Friedman Pink Taco V2 1x12 Combo, the EVH 000, the EVH 51450 Iconic. Boutique upgrades: Friedman Pink Taco V2 Combo, EVH 5150 Iconic Series 60W 2x12 Combo, Friedman RUNT-20 Combo.
What pairs well with the Engl Fireball 25 Goldface?+
Strong matches from rig and tone-complementarity evidence: Beetronics Buzzter Boost Preamp, Z.Vex Super Hard On, Shin's Music Dumbloid — Beetronics Buzzter Boost Preamp takes that high gain character and pushes it toward clean boost.
How much does the Engl Fireball 25 Goldface cost?+
Around $866.84 (live listing price, updated Oct 24, 2026).