new bogner amp - the helios

Re: new bogner amp - the helios

If I could have chosen one amp at the LA Amp Show to come home with, it would have been the Helios 100W.....maybe the 50W, but I didn't hear that one.

It's the fattest, meanest, most brutal sounding hotrodded vintage Marshall tone ever. It's not cheap, but I was surprised it wasn't more than $2850, being a handwired Bogner made in the US Custom Shop.

I'll put it this way, if Van Halen didn't have a guitar and amp company, and he actually wanted the best tone he could possibly have..... VH would have a wall of Bogner Helios amps, and there wouldn't be one complaint about his current tone. They'd need a guy with a broom to sweep all his Peavey and EVH junk into the nearest trash receptacle. LOL
 
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Re: new bogner amp - the helios

Here's some pics from the show.

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50W Helios
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Re: new bogner amp - the helios

The reason I even brought up Van Halen is because this amp is sort of a return to what Reinhold Bogner did 25 years ago, back in 89 when he came to the San Fernando Valley from Germany.

Reinhold made a name for himself here being the guy who could transform a Marshall into huge sounding gain machine, and shortly thereafter started making Bogner amps in the same location as Make'n'Music, where he was modding amps for guys like Van Halen It was an exclusive store that was by appointment only, and I guess they moved to Chicago.

Apparently, Eddie's famous Marshall was overhauled by Reinhold back then.

Around 93-94, I became aware of Bogner by going to Make'n'Music in North Hollywood. I plugged into Reinhold's new amps, the Ecstasy and Caveman. I was blown away. Those amps haunted me because they were what I'd always wanted in a Marshall.....a Twin/Plexi/modded channel. I wanted it so bad but they cost around $3200.

So I spent the next few years using a modded 71 Super Bass, by Alan Cyr at the Amp Shop. And, Blues Pearl (Fender boutiques).

I finally found an XTC around 99, and it was a fully loaded white chassis 95. I think I got it from JP Cervoni. It's been my main amp since 1999. I've never found a channel switching amp I like better.
 
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Re: new bogner amp - the helios

One thing that fascinates me about EVH's early tone, is that it was so simple. A guitar with a PAFish pickup in the bridge into an amp with lots of volume dialed in.
 
Re: new bogner amp - the helios

When I went on Saturday, I was reminded how good Edgar Winter's Doug Rappoport is.
He was the most impressive player I saw at the Amp Show. I was in the room when some of this was recorded, and as good as it sounds on youtube, it sounded far more amazing standing in front of it.

Enjoy! Doug Rappoport rips!
 
Re: new bogner amp - the helios

When I went on Saturday, I was reminded how good Edgar Winter's Doug Rappoport is.
He was the most impressive player I saw at the Amp Show. I was in the room when some of this was recorded, and as good as it sounds on youtube, it sounded far more amazing standing in front of it.

Enjoy! Doug Rappoport rips!

Very cool man, very cool!

B :beerchug:
 
Re: new bogner amp - the helios

I wonder if this is also a throwback inspired by all the Friedman craze ;). Did you get to hear or play a Friedman? And your bias aside (as much as possible lol) who do you think does the hot rodded Marshall thing better?

That looks very cool... I have my Egnater HW amp that I built in the class and minus the tolex it looks very similar (cosmetically, but I'm sure sonically different as the Eggie is more Uberschall-ish with the low mids). I love hot rodded Marshall stuff!
 
Re: new bogner amp - the helios

Listening to the clips the Bogner seems to have more low end growl than Friedmans... A little thicker. Seems to chunk well. Both makers are top notch... Hard to say which I like better, but probably Bogner... simply because of the lower gain sounds sound better to me... and Mr. Bogner has funny outfits that make me smile.
 
Re: new bogner amp - the helios

woah the tone from that video is something else. bogner was wise to use the celestion H magnet speakers in the form of the vintage 30 and g12h-30 in an x pattern in the straight cabs too. both speakers lend some good attributes. the whole video is through that straight cab.
 
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