Compare the H&K TriampMkII to Bogner Ecstasy...

[edi_87]

What are the differences in sounds and what are the similarities.. I need damn versatile amp, capable for modern jazz and hard rock/metal riffs (i mix the two styles)

[That90'sGuy]

Re: Compare the H&K TriampMkII to Bogner Ecstasy...

It all really depends on what you're looking for.

Do you want 6 different channels that can completely cover vintage territory and cover some modern styles? Or do you want a 3 channel amp that gets a little different of a clean, a killer distortion rhythm channel and arguably the best lead tone ever?

The Bogner has crushing lead and hi gain metal tones. It also gets an amazing plexi type tone on the 2nd channel. That can be tweaked to getting just about anything Marshall-like, like a classic JCM. The cleans aren't exactly Fender from what I've gathered.

If you want metal, you'll find it on the last channel of the Triamp. The flexibility is pretty awesome. You get different voiced cleans, different voiced light overdrives, a modern JCM-900 type distortion and basically the Duotone lead tone (see Soldano, Bogner, VHT... basically articulate killer high gain).

If you want a good clean (not Fendery), a plexi or killer Marshall tone, and the best lead tone around... go Bogner. There simply isn't anything better, not Soldano, not VHT, not Diezel, not anything boutique. Bogner is it... the best. Some artists that use it include Steve Vai, Eric Johnson, Eddie Van Halen, Joe Satriani, the band Alice In Chains.

My Triamp is versatile as all hell, I got it cheap (only $1050 used), and I'm a lighter player, but love the ability to switch to a quality high gain. I want to be able to cover as many styles as possible and that's why I love it so much. Like many quality boutique amps, rolling back the volume or lessening pick attack results in cleans so for those that play dynamically, they'll really appreciate this feature on this amp. The artists that use it include the band Fuel, Alex Lifeson from Rush, and the guitarist from 3 Doors Down.

[dystrust]

Re: Compare the H&K TriampMkII to Bogner Ecstasy...

The Bogner Ecstacy is a great amp, but I wouldn't consider it the best lead tone ever; IMO it's far too compressed. I would much rather have an SLO as it is more touch sensitive and a bit more raw sounding. However if you want a super smooth lead tone, an Ecstacy is impossible to beat.

[That90'sGuy]

Re: Compare the H&K TriampMkII to Bogner Ecstasy...

The Bogner Ecstacy is a great amp, but I wouldn't consider it the best lead tone ever; IMO it's far too compressed. I would much rather have an SLO as it is more touch sensitive and a bit more raw sounding. However if you want a super smooth lead tone, an Ecstacy is impossible to beat.

Ah! You bring up a good point, the lead tone is quite compressed which won't work for everyone. To gain an understanding of what the Bogner sounds like, people need to listen to songs like Vai's "Die to Live". Those type of singing smooth lead tones are what Bogner's about.

[dystrust]

Re: Compare the H&K TriampMkII to Bogner Ecstasy...

I personally prefer "For the Love of God", but to each his own

[Gearjoneser]

Re: Compare the H&K TriampMkII to Bogner Ecstasy...

The funny thing about describing the Bogner's sound is that it can't be pigeonholed. It's the most advanced tube amp ever made. Instead of giving you a 3 channel amp with 3 tones, they've given you a virtual "LEGOS" set of guitar tone. What sets the Ecstasy aside from most others like Diezel, H&K, Framus, is that it has a lot of tiny switches that reconfigure aspects of the circuit. People say the clean isn't Fender. Technically, it can't, since it's an EL-34 amp, but put it next to a Fender, and watch the Bogner run circles around it, with every shade of clean from American to British. As far as the blue channel, it can sound better than the ENTIRE history of Marshall amps. With every option available to the blue channel, I can get a Bluesbreaker all the way to G. Lynch/Cantrell. The red channel will do everything from 60's plexi's cranked, all the way to infinite liquid sustain that rides the line of feedback without crumbling. Again, you can change the compression characteristics, just by reconfiguring the channel using the switches.

The main characteristic of the Bogner's sound is a cranked sound at almost every volume level, and a roar that can only be equalled by listening to Marshall and Mesa halfstacks, in stereo. That's how big the tone is. On most "do it all" type amps, the result is 3 sounds that are LESS than what 3 good single channel would sound like.
On the Ecstasy, it's like having 12 amps in one, which will stand toe to toe with the amps this thing covers. That's why they cost the big bucks and people gladly pay it.

[dystrust]

Re: Compare the H&K TriampMkII to Bogner Ecstasy...

Well put GJ. I'd love to have an Ecstacy someday as they're great amps. I used to play in a band with a guy who had one and I put in quite a few hours on it. However at the end of the day, it simply wasn't my sound. I'm torn between a Soldano and the great sounding Marshall 2555 I scored dirt cheap a few years ago.


Added: Of the two amps mentioned, I'd take the Ecstacy over the Triamp.

[That90'sGuy]

Re: Compare the H&K TriampMkII to Bogner Ecstasy...

Added: Of the two amps mentioned, I'd take the Ecstacy over the Triamp.

I'll put in my .02: as much as I love my Triamp, I'd take the Ecstasy over it

In all honesty, this comparison is like comparing a honda civic to a lambourghini. The Triamp is an amazing amp for the money and I feel after playing lots of different amps that it's one of the best (play it against a Mesa Roadking or similar and odds are you'll want to walk away with the Triamp )

However, Bogner has it. If anyone has the money for it, you'd be crazy NOT to buy it. If you want a slightly rawer tone, like dystrust, you'd want to opt for the Soldano.

I think Bogner needs MIDI capability. When it offers that I'll jump on it. That way I'll be able to access more than 3 tones. Just imagine being able to save presets for accurate Marshall sounds and various killer high gain tones, nevermind everything in between.

[dystrust]

Re: Compare the H&K TriampMkII to Bogner Ecstasy...

The Triamp is an amazing amp for the money and I feel after playing lots of different amps that it's one of the best (play it against a Mesa Roadking or similar and odds are you'll want to walk away with the Triamp )

I'll second that. The Triamp totally kills the Mesa Choad King.

[papersoul]

Re: Compare the H&K TriampMkII to Bogner Ecstasy...

What about the VHT Pitbull Ultra lead?? I hear that is the amp to own!....or a Diezel.

[That90'sGuy]

Re: Compare the H&K TriampMkII to Bogner Ecstasy...

No offense to anyone who owns a VHT, but they aren't as great as (IMHO) people make them out to be. Kinda one trick ponys too... great articulate distortion (a little too raw for my taste), but no cleans whatsoever. I believe A Perfect Circle uses them, but in order to get decent cleans, they oversaturate their signal with tons of reverb and echo from their Lexicon Mpx-g2.

Diezel makes a killer amp, but I see a lot of people trying to trade them for Ecstasies so they can't be that great. I think Bogner puts out a richer sounding product personally (if you check out the different channels). Diezel's high gain channel is killer as well, but it doesn't have the flexibility of the Bogner.

[dystrust]

Re: Compare the H&K TriampMkII to Bogner Ecstasy...

Diezels sound too much like a Recto. It's been said before... If you want raw high-gain, buy a Soldano. If you want super smooth high-gain buy a Bogner. End of story.

[That90'sGuy]

Re: Compare the H&K TriampMkII to Bogner Ecstasy...

Diezels sound too much like a Recto. It's been said before... If you want raw high-gain, buy a Soldano. If you want super smooth high-gain buy a Bogner. End of story.

so there!

[Gearjoneser]

Re: Compare the H&K TriampMkII to Bogner Ecstasy...

Really, tho, at this point we're just splitting hairs. By the 90's, amp builders knew how to make a good sounding high gain amp. By the 2000's, they can now make an amp that excells at clean, highgain, and everything in between, all in one amp.

At the end of the day, any player with a good set of ears can put together a great sounding rig, whether it's from 'do it all' amps or one trick pony amps. With multi-channel amps, you're just eliminating the need to patch together a bunch of amps and switchers, and getting it all in one amp. I played for years and years with single channel, or dual channel amps. Then went rackmounted, wasn't satisfied with the tone, then went back to heads, but this time, versatile/great sounding amps. It wasn't easy scraping up that much money for my new/used Ecstasy halfstack, but now that I know how to navigate it's controls, my search is over. There will always be those amps that have a different vibe than the Bogner, and I'll still enjoy those, but the Ecstasy is the benchmark. It's design was the dream amp I'd always wished a company would make, but kept falling short. After using it for a couple years now, I almost can't imagine any amp company topping it. There's other amps that I'd love to have, but feature for feature, tone for tone, the Bogner is basically a "Ferrari."
The only person who wouldn't like it, is someone who doesn't like EL-34's, or someone who has no use for an amp as loud as a Marshall 100W. Even still, there's about 6 ways to tame the volume it produces, not to mention Class A/AB switch. The halfpower switch is nice, but I'd really love it if Bogner would come out with a 50W Ecstasy. Same exact amp, only 2 power tubes. The probably haven't because the halfpower switch on the Ecstasy actually takes two tubes out of the signal, and makes you change the ohms rating on the amp. Others are usually cathode/pentode switches.

[That90'sGuy]

Re: Compare the H&K TriampMkII to Bogner Ecstasy...

The halfpower switch is nice, but I'd really love it if Bogner would come out with a 50W Ecstasy. Same exact amp, only 2 power tubes. The probably haven't because the halfpower switch on the Ecstasy actually takes two tubes out of the signal, and makes you change the ohms rating on the amp. Others are usually cathode/pentode switches.

Is anyone from Bogner listening?

Make us a Bogner with only 2 power tubes and MIDI board compatable