Attention Bogner Owners

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What Bogner do you own, what is your go-to guitar when playing through it, and what kind of music do you like to play using that rig?

Also, would you change anything about that setup?

- Keith
 
Re: Attention Bogner Owners

I currently own a Ecstacy 101b and I've found there really isn't a particular guitar that it favors, it's just such a versatile amp so tweaking to suit a particular instrument is really easy to do. I will say that I tend to favor my JB equipped strat and custom equipped PRS through it.

As far as the amps sounds; it won't get nu-metal heavy (this doesn't bother me) but, it will hit just about every other tone you can imagine.

Things I would change: THE PRICE!!! It took me too damn long to save enough money, however the wait was well worth it!!! Just like anything you get what you pay for!!!
 
Re: Attention Bogner Owners

Do they really get $4,000 for a Ecstasy 101B head?

CORRECTION: Looks like it's closer to $3,500. Still a big chunk o' change!
 
Re: Attention Bogner Owners

I bought mine in Chicago at Make'n Music, the head, 4X12 slant cab and controller totalled up to around 4200.00 bucks. It's been worth every penny though

Josh
 
Re: Attention Bogner Owners

I have a Shiva 1 12" EL 34 with Reverb. I love the amp. The cleans smoke both of my Fenders (68' SF SR and a '67 DR). The SR has a tad more bottom than the Shiva, but thats due to 4 10". The Drive channel is really sweet. Not to gainy. I run the drive about 1/2 way, and it sounds fine right there. I have a lot of guitars and they all seem to sound exceptional thru this amp. I play mostly Fenders and Gibsons. My goto guitars are a Clpaton Strat and a 335. I am basically a Blues/Rock kind of player. I use the clean channel more then the drive channel. I also use a TS9 modded by John with the gain all the way down. I use this more as a volume boost in the clean channel and it works great.

What I would like to see is a volume and gain adjustment for the boost. These are currently fixed yet Bogner does have a mod for it. I will probably send it back to them for this in the future. I really do not like effects loops on ANY amp and this is no exception. I don't use a lot of effects I use a CE2, a DD3 and a TS9 with a Wah and tuner and I run this all straight in with no issues. Everytime I try to run anything into an effects loop(on any amp) It begins to destroy my tone, so I have learned not to use them. Then guys try to help me by explaining whats causing the issue and they start talking all teckkie on me....... I explain to them I'm a guitar player not an engineer! I like to plug in and play! I hate tweaking knobs. The Bogner has been a very satisfying experience. It sounds great and is real easy to use. IMHO it is the best Channel switching amp I have used. With the cuple of MINOR improvements I mentioned it would be a dream amp!
 
Re: Attention Bogner Owners

I think Reinhold Bogner wins the prize for being the best amp designer. Any amp builder can create a decent power section, but Bogner has surpassed everyone when it comes to preamp design. The Ecstasy was Reinhold's brainchild, and I think it's far and away his best creation, although the Shiva, Uberschall, Metropolis, and Duende are supreme creations as well.

The first time I heard an Ecstasy was at Bogner's first location on Lankershim Blvd (now he's on Victory Blvd.) At that time, I'd already owned a lot of good amps, but when I heard the Ecstasy, I was convinced it was the amp for me, but being a broke musician, the price wasn't even a consideration.
Several years later, I sold off a bunch of gear, and saw a recycler ad for the best Ecstasy ever made.....the loaded white chassis from 94/95. I scored it for $2175 from a local friend of Reinhold's. A month later, I got the 4-12, and a year later, the large 2-12. I even scooped up a canefront headshell on Ebay for $200, so now I have the choice of metalfront or canefront.....essentially to suit the look of whatever band I use it with, since it's my main amp.
I've owned it for 5 1/2 years.

I love the Ecstasy more than any other amp I've owned or tried. The way he set up the controls is pure genious, since I can shape the sound almost as much as a modeling amp. Once you know the amp, you realize it's potential.
I've learned to dial mine to do anything. I also found out which tubes sound the best in all of it's sockets. GT12AX7C's for the gain stages, and cleaner JJ's for the clean channel, PI, and FX driver. JJ EL-34's sound great to me.

I play everything between fingerstyle, bluesrock, and technical stuff, probably like Knopfler meets Andy Timmons or something. I use Strats, Pauls, and Teles with vintage spec pickups, and I use the amp more as 3 classic amps, rather than a killing machine. But, if I want pure brutal metal, the Ecstasy easily delivers that. There's no lack of gain or heaviness, but it'll always have more of a Marshally vibe with the growly signature Bogner sound.

If you want the best 2 channel Marshall, get the Shiva.
If you want every Marshall in one box, get the Ecstasy.
If you want something that'll chew up a Recto and spit it out, get the Uberschall.
If you want the ultimate EL-84 amp, it's the Metropolis, and the ultimate 6V6 amp is the Duende.....although I'm making that assumption since I haven't heard the Duende yet, besides clips.
 
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Re: Attention Bogner Owners

I have a Bogner Shiva, I use it as a combo 2x12 and I have the Head Shell for it.

I thinkt he amp sounds best with V30s, though I would love to try Green's too. First time I played one was thru Green's.

I use mine mostly with a Les Paul that has the JP wiring. It works well with all my guitars. I record and play live with it. I do a ton of rhythm work and soloing as well as use it behind me as I sing.

I think the amp does Hard rock, R&B, and singer/songwriter sounds relaly well. I have not played jazz as much these days, but I think the amp can do some nice Jazz sounds.

Improvements? Hard to say. A lot of players want more bass and gain for live use, and i am one. However, I have ceom to realize that this amp has a #D sort of clarity and does NOT mask any sloppiness, so you just need to practice more. I needs no more gain. A TS9 does work well though! I would add the BOOST MOD as well, so you can control the boost. The older model as the CRAPPIEST FX loop system... lol but I make it work. Also, the older model has fixed taps for the tranny to the speaker. I had to buy all 16 ohm cabs to match this amp better. Up til then I had all 8ohm Mesa cabs.
 
Re: Attention Bogner Owners

The amp I wish Bogner would make would be a cheaper version of the Ecstasy, simply by making it 60W with no extra features, besides the mixable FX loop.

If the price were $2400 new = $1900 used, a lot more players would get the chance to own one. I know I wouldn't have been able to afford the new price for mine. As it is, people practically fight for the few used ones that pop up.
 
Re: Attention Bogner Owners

Gearjoneser said:
If you want the best 2 channel Marshall, get the Shiva.
If you want every Marshall in one box, get the Ecstasy.
If you want something that'll chew up a Recto and spit it out, get the Uberschall.
If you want the ultimate EL-84 amp, it's the Metropolis, and the ultimate 6V6 amp is the Duende.....although I'm making that assumption since I haven't heard the Duende yet, besides clips.
Click to expand...

I like that characterization, uber-kewel!!:eek13: :laugh2:
 
Re: Attention Bogner Owners

KGMESSIER said:
What Bogner do you own, what is your go-to guitar when playing through it, and what kind of music do you like to play using that rig?

Also, would you change anything about that setup?

- Keith
Click to expand...

I own a Bogner EL-34 Shiva w/ Reverb and I run it through a Bogner 4x12'' loaded in a criss cross pattern of Vintage 30s (smooth topend with an aggressive midrange emphasis) and Classic Lead 80s (crunchy and balanced high powered speakers... these help keep the cleans at high volumes together). My go-to guitar is a PRS McCarty Soapbar Standard w/ Lollar P-90s (think PRS' take on a Les Paul DC Special). My band plays generally speaking "rock/pop", I'm influenced by bands like Splender, Pearl Jam, Foo Fighters, Black Crowes, Our Lady Peace, Goo Goo Dolls and the like.

I love virtually everything about the amp, if I could add one thing, I would add the blue plexi channel on the XTC to it for those light crunchy type tones, but I do have that territory covered pretty decently by using an Analogman King of Tone through the clean channel.
 
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Re: Attention Bogner Owners

I came really close to grabbing a 101B in a trade, but it fell thru.

In hindsight, it was WAY more amp than I needed & I've never even played a Bogner.

In the end, the guy that was gonna trade it wound up selling it to a local guy. In turn, he bought my 100 watt Marshall, which allowed me to grab my current favorite builders "Marshall".....Brian Gerhardt's Tophat Emplexador50w!

Picture.jpg


My only question about Bogners: You see an awful lot of them for sale semi-regularly.

Is it that folks buy into the hype & bite off more than they can chew...

OR in the case of the XTC, is the learning curve more than guys are willing to deal with...

OR the age old, need the money !!!!

Or a little of all of the above????
 
Re: Attention Bogner Owners

PUCKBOY99 said:
I came really close to grabbing a 101B in a trade, but it fell thru.

In hindsight, it was WAY more amp than I needed & I've never even played a Bogner.

In the end, the guy that was gonna trade it wound up selling it to a local guy. In turn, he bought my 100 watt Marshall, which allowed me to grab my current favorite builders "Marshall".....Brian Gerhardt's Tophat Emplexador50w!

Picture.jpg


My only question about Bogners: You see an awful lot of them for sale semi-regularly.

Is it that folks buy into the hype & bite off more than they can chew...

OR in the case of the XTC, is the learning curve more than guys are willing to deal with...

OR the age old, need the money !!!!

Or a little of all of the above????
Click to expand...


Wow, that really worked out for you! The Top Hat rig looks awesome, and I know how those 2 heads sound.....friggin great!

I think the reason you see Bogners come up for sale is because they're loud volume monsters, and a lot of players don't need all that. Plus, the types of guys with high dollar amps tend to change them like underwear. Not me though. I wouldn't sell that amp.
 
Re: Attention Bogner Owners

Fair enough.....and thanks Joe.

Yeah man, it worked out for me REALLY WELL !!!

Super sweet amps....I just got the Emp & haven't spent a lot of time with it, so I haven't thrown up a review, but I'm off Tuesday & Wednesday next week & will get quite intimate with them :D
 
Re: Attention Bogner Owners

PUCKBOY99 said:
Fair enough.....and thanks Joe.

Yeah man, it worked out for me REALLY WELL !!!

Super sweet amps....I just got the Emp & haven't spent a lot of time with it, so I haven't thrown up a review, but I'm off Tuesday & Wednesday next week & will get quite intimate with them :D
Click to expand...

Sweet rig Terry, the Emplexador50 and King Royale are two of the best amps I've ever played, Top Hats are great amps! Ypu can't get much better of a rig than what you've got right there, I guarantee after spending some time with them, you won't want to be selling either one of them off.

I think people sell their Bogners because they buy them without playing one first and they didn't do enough research to figure out what the amps qualities are. If you want raw and raunchy with plenty of gain on tap, you'll hate the Shiva or the XTC. Bogners are generally smooth and punchy amps and that's why they're my favorite. I've owned other nice amps like the Bad Cat Hot Cat and Fargen Epic 30, but they weren't fat, smooth or sweet enough for my taste.

Joe is right, a lot of folks that buy Bogners typically like flipping through lots of boutique gear, it's more about the "latest and greatest" for some.
 
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Re: Attention Bogner Owners

yeah,Gearjoneser hit the nail on the head...i wish that Bogner put out a 101B head at 60 watts with a mixable fx loop for around the $2200-$2400 range max...that would be just enough,realistically,to get me to buy one...
 
Re: Attention Bogner Owners

KGMESSIER said:
I'm surprised these Bogners don't get that nu-metal sound. Didn't Jerry Cantrell use a Bogner?
Click to expand...

I´m not squite ure what these 2 statements have to do with each other... Grunge and Nu-metal are completely different styles and tones :eek13:

And ANY amp can do Nu-metal... just put the gain and bass on 10, the mids on zero, and dial in treble to suit your individual degree of hearing loss.:chairfall
 
Re: Attention Bogner Owners

Zerberus said:
I´m not squite ure what these 2 statements have to do with each other... Grunge and Nu-metal are completely different styles and tones :eek13:

And ANY amp can do Nu-metal... just put the gain and bass on 10, the mids on zero, and dial in treble to suit your individual degree of hearing loss.:chairfall
Click to expand...

Guess I don't know enough about what "nu-metal" really is. What I meant is that I'm surprised the amps mentioned aren't capable of getting the heavy gain sound Cantrell used. Then again, I believe he used a Bogner Fish, correct?

- Keith
 
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