Press reviews

The Engine: Awards & Press Reviews

Awards, Accolades & Press reviews

The Engine Earned a “Premier Gear” Badge in Premier Guitar's Review

DryBell The Engine guitar pedal earned Premier Guitar's “Premier Gear” Badge

“The Engine is a combination of good design, a keen ear for vintage sound and dynamics, and considerable thought for how a modern player might use these tones. Both effects are outstanding, but combined they take the amp-in-a-box to a higher level. And let me tell you, this preamp is loud. It might be one of most powerful and robust gain circuits I’ve ever played.”

Read the review and discover the reason behind The Engine’s recognition with Premier Guitar’s ‘Premier Gear’ Badge.

The Engine Received “Recommended Gear of the Year 2020” Award in the Guitar Magazine

DryBell The Engine guitar pedal was awarded Guitar.com's “Recommended Gear of the Year 2020” badge

It hardly seems to matter what kind of amp you run it through – the Engine’s drive circuit pushes out classic Marshall grind, with that familiar tight bass and sweetly rasping edge. The mid-gain sounds are on the money and, yes, it will stretch to JCM800-style heavier tones with no less authority.”

Learn why Guitar.com recommends The Engine as one of the best gear of 2020.

The Engine Featured in a “Gear of the Year 2020” by Premier Guitar

DryBell The Engine guitar pedal featured in Premier Guitar's “Gear of the Year 2020“

By boosting internal voltage to 23V and integrating a highly malleable EQ section, DryBell put together a preamp that generates heaps of thumping, dynamic, responsive, and searingly loud British textures.

Discover why Premier Guitar choose The Engine as one of the best pieces of gear of 2020.

The Engine Received “Editor's Choice” Badge from Guitar Magazine

DryBell The Engine guitar pedal earned Guitar’s magazine “Editor’s Choice” badge

There’s nothing like the roar of an old Plexi head, but they’re devastating loud and hefty beasts – especially once you’ve slapped the obligatory 4×12 cab underneath – so the current trend for ‘Marshall in a box’ pedals makes a lot of sense. And this one, from DryBell is quite possibly the classiest example yet.

Read the review and find out why Guitar.com gave the “Editor’s Choice” badge to The Engine.

The Engine Received a “Vintage Guitar Approved Gear” Badge from Vintage Guitar Magazine

DryBell The Engine guitar pedal earned Vintage Guitar Magazine's „Approved Gear“ badge

The Engine is a tone shaper’s dream with goo-gobs of gain yielding all varieties of upscale British splendor – smooth, compressed, articulate, and with complex overtones. It also works as a clean to dirty boost and yields British superiority regardless of which amp it’s plugged into. The Engine nailed the sound of a wide-open JCM800 (coming through monitors) but was easier to manage. There’s a pronounced midrange that can be dimed, but the combination of Marshall and Rangemaster colors – and all their sonic variables – makes The Engine a guitar soloist’s dream.

Read Vintage Guitar Magazine’s review of The Engine and discover why it earned their coveted “Approved Gear” badge.

The Engine 5-star Review by Bonedo

DryBell The Engine guitar pedal review by Bonedo

What bliss! The DryBell The Engine is a very balanced and dynamic “amp in a box” pedal. It offers a wide range of sounds from subtle distortion to Stevie Ray Vaughan, AC/DC, Blackmore and Malmsteen. With channel A you get an open Marshall style distortion while channel B acts as a versatile EQ/booster. Both channels can be used simultaneously and allow you to customize the sound. The basic character of the guitar and the amp is largely retained. I haven’t been able to find a bad sounding setting. In short: a great pedal!

Read Bonedo’s In-Depth review of The Engine and find out why it is a top-rated guitar pedal.

The Engine In-Depth Review by GuitarPedalX

GuitarPedalX reviewed DryBell The Engine guitar pedal

To me this is probably the finest MIAB type pedal overall that I have yet encountered – certainly in this enclosure format. The output is beautifully balanced and richly harmonic – and all those controls work exactly as you would expect them to. This is a premium pristine precision device that I feel all would love to get their hands on.

Read GuitarPedalX’s glowing review of The Engine and find out why it’s considered one of the best MIAB pedals.

The Engine - One of the Best New Overdrive/distortion Pedals for the Year 2020 by the GuitarPedalX!

GuitarPedalX reviewed DryBell The Engine guitar pedal

DryBell The Engine – Unreal Plexi Amp Sounds, in a box! I’m generally hugely impressed by its feature set and tones – and is probably the perfect take on the Plexi Drive + RangeMaster Treble Boost pedal!

Discover why The Engine was named as one of the best new overdrive and distortion pedals for the year 2020 by the GuitarPedalX.

The Engine In-Depth Review by MyGuitarLair

DryBell The Engine guitar pedal review by MyGuitarLair

This pedal can add luscious, complex tones and harmonics to your sound. It will take your playing to the next level with touch-sensitive dynamics, even at low volume levels. The Engine helps your guitar’s tone and your playing shine through. This pedal is truly “The Little Engine That Could!

Read MyGuitarLair’s rave review of The Engine.

The Engine: Tinkercity Music Review - "Incredible Sounding and Feeling Pedal"

Tinkercity-Music DryBell The Engine guitar pedal review

Simply put, The Engine is an incredible sounding and feeling pedal. What you’re left with is one fantastic overdrive and distortion box that not only sounds like a vintage British tube amp… but feels like one!”

Explore Tinkercity-Music’s review of The Engine.

The Engine Review by Delicious-Audio

DryBell The Engine guitar pedal review by Delicious-Audio

Sporting a “Foundation Preamp” subtitle, the Engine is a fully analog, high headroom, extremely versatile dual preamp that aims at covering all the classic, British, ’60s-inspired overdriven tones on any type of amp, at any level you may fancy.

Find out about The Engine, an extremely versatile dual preamp, in this review by Delicious Audio.

The Engine Review by Pedal of the Day

DryBell The Engine guitar pedal review by Pedal of the Day

Aiming to cover all the classic overdriven tones you hear on many different amps, The Engine has two very strong and independent sections, designed to work with a variety of musical gear. These sections share a high headroom, ultra-low noise buffer, designed to have no signal loss. Using only long life, highly reliable components, you’re The Engine Foundation Preamp will keep running for years and years to come.

Find out what folks from Pedal of the Day think of The Engine.

Artist Picks

Bjørn Riis from Gilmourish Considers The Engine One of the Best Overdrive Pedal He Ever Tried

Bjørn Riis is using all DryBell guitar pedals

This is probably the best overdrive pedal I’ve tried in many many years! It really feels like I’m playing a real tube amp. One thing I often miss in Marshall modelled pedals is that they either lack the low end or that the mids are either too low or too high. The Engine is perfectly balanced, with that low end chug and the mids right where they should be, without sounding boxy or hollow.

Check Bjørn Riis’s glowing video review of The Engine.

Related products

The Engine

In stock

340.00
British Amp in a Box & EQ/Rangemaster Boost