the Bogner has landed

[Shawn Lutz]

well, I'm an insane idiot and bought a Bogner Ecstasy 101B off eBay and it came in today. My first impression, and I only played it for about 45 minutes so take it at face value, is it lives up to its name. Its very cool and warm, covers wide range of tones from classic rock to melt your face off (not Deth or Uberish tho) but very musical.

I have a lot of experimenting to do and figure out what the hell I'm doing [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img] It was pretty easy to get a good tone out of just by dicking with it, damn kids had to go to bed [img]/images/graemlins/frown.gif[/img] so I had to turn it off.

[toejam]

Re: the Bogner has landed

[ QUOTE ]
well, I'm an insane idiot

[/ QUOTE ]As if you had to tell us. [img]/images/graemlins/rolleyes.gif[/img] [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]
Congrats! [img]/images/graemlins/toast.gif[/img] I'd like to hear more about it when you've got more time to dick around with it.

[horns666]

Re: the Bogner has landed

Dude that is kick ass bro ...I glad for you.

Congrats big time...Nice amp!!!

Your a great player and dude...I'm sure you'll sound killer with it! [img]/images/graemlins/toast.gif[/img]

When it's time post some stuff ...I wish I could post stuff...but I'm computerly challenged. [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

[slo100]

Re: the Bogner has landed

Congrats!

I'll interested in hearing the fate of the VHT with a new sheriff in town.

[Endrik]

Re: the Bogner has landed

Congrats man, I want the same amp.

[Tooling]

Re: the Bogner has landed

My XTC experience...

I have tried the following preamp tubes in all possible positions including different varieties and types, (12AT7,12AU7,5751....etc.)

NOS Mullard (Holland)
NOS Mullard (Great Britain)
NOS GE
NOS RCA
NOS Sylvania
Mesa Branded
Several Groove Tube flavors
JJ
Electro Harmonix

I have tried JJ E34L's and EH EL34's

The amp was designed around Svetlana EL34's and Chinese preamp tubes.....MY POINT.....these tubes sound the best PERIOD<.....DO NOT go on a NOS preamp tube buying spree thinking your ,"best", amp only deserves the best.

The Mullards will bring out some clarity but it will sacrifice 3rd order harmonics, lushness, etc....the JJ's just suck and so on....I will say the JJ EL34L's sound really good with the amp cranked but HORRIBLE at low volume...very hairy and wooly sounding. Another thing you should be aware of is that the power section runs at approximately 545 plate volts and tends to eat power tubes....once the bass gets loose (red channel) and just starts sounding shet overall.....time for new tubes....I use SED Svetlana which are my favorite across the board by far.

This amp responds to different pickups and guitars better than any amp you likely have had.....Red Channel, high gain.....JB in the bridge ROCKS....really chewy and complex sounding. Tone Zone....shet, EMG 85...O.K. at low volume but....Jazz...I don't really like this pickup anyway so....'59 neck is the mother focking cats pajamas paired with the JB.....'57 Classics just not hot enough....Pearly Gates bridge...YUK!...SD Custom EVH bridge...this pickup sounds great...very even to slightly scooped with the midrange sweetness of the JB and a sweeter high end, my only complaint is it could be a little hotter for the XTC, it needs to push the preamp a little but with the right amp (5150) it is fantastic.

Find your sounds on the Blue and Red channels but let me clue you in on a BADASS Plexi..ish tone.

Green Channel (GREEN)

Adjust the EQ accordingly but DIME the gain and take the volume north...Absolutely crushing tone.....very cool indeed.

Pair your amp with a Bogner 4x12 and you will have what it's all about....

Sorry so long , just trying to share what experience I have...I know it's 'cliche but this is an amp you should really spend alot of time getting to know...it will reward your efforts.

[Tooling]

Re: the Bogner has landed

Green Channel...CLEAN...sorry

[Shawn Lutz]

Re: the Bogner has landed

Thanks guys. And Toe, I may be an insane idiot but atleast I have firm man boobs [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img] [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

Thanks for the tube info Tooling. I do have it paired with a matching Bogner 4x12 with V30's. I have a Soldano 4x12 on the way that I'll use with my VHT and I'm hoping it sounds good with it cause I really like it with the Bogner cab.

Bret, there is a big price differential between the VHT and XTC and I'd have to say based on my first play with the XTC -- I'm having a hard time convincing myself that it is worth the additional money [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img] I paid 900 for my 50/CL head

[Twisteramps]

Re: the Bogner has landed

For metal, I'd prefer the VHT over the Bogner too. BTW, try a different cabinet with the Bogner - last one I checked out at length was with the V30 cabinet, and I didn't care for it as much as I did with a (no joke) G75 loaded one.

The XTC is a cool amp, but I even like my HR50+ better for high gain mayhem. You sure can get a lot more tones with the XTC than most tube amps, however.

Pete

[Tooling]

Re: the Bogner has landed

There is no doubt the VHT's are killer amps...just different and the UL has thump and aggression not acheivable by an XTC in a live metal situation. The VHT UL sounds to me the way a MK IV wishes and wants to sound...basically a Mesa MK IV perfected. I consider my XTC to be my ,"base", sound...aka early Van Halen warmth and complexity. You just have to discern what your," base", sound is. I have tried the XTC with a variety of Mesa cabs with a variety of speakers....I didn't care for any of them...I did like a 4x12 Marshall w/ Greenbacks however. The biggest thing about the XTC ...For ME was that I was always buying guitars, pickups, and just gear in general that would have a darker rounder tone as to inject that into the shetty harsh tones I was always getting from amps such as TSL, DSL, MK IV, Rectifiers etc....the Single Rec was the closest I came until along came the XTC. Now with the inherent dark round tone of the XTC you can actually look for bright gear which is a much easier angle to start from IMO. For high volume Drop Tune Metal.....the XTC does not come close to a VHT UL.....BUT....drop a Mullard 12AX7 into V1 of the XTC and crank it.....you now have the recipe for awesome metal tones....this amp is an amazing piece that will put out what it is fed....you just need to really get to know the amp. Everybody's taste and perception is different (obviously) and my experience with tubes etc. is in no way meant to be the final call....you must judge for yourself. You have an AWESOME amp!

[khabibissell]

Re: the Bogner has landed

Cool Shawn! Enjoy it. You on quite a gear buying binge lately. You gonna get back into the band thing?

[Shawn Lutz]

Re: the Bogner has landed

No Steve, I just changed gears from guitars to amps. I love tube tone [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img] I don't even look for guitars anymore, I have enough of them...heheh

For metal perhaps I should state that I don't do Death or Speed metal, I'm more into the classic metal and melodic hard rockin stuff and I really don't like tone with too much over the top gain. The XTC at first try appears have enough gain for what I play. I don't tune any lower than Eb so I don't need the ultra low frequency response, I'm guitarist damnit, not a bass player [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

[slo100]

Re: the Bogner has landed

Here's my story. My amplifier lineage over the years started off. Starting in 1985 I went:

Marshall Major sold for a
Gallien Krueger 250ML sold for a
Marshall JMP 2203 sold for a
Mesa MkIIC (still have it)
Mesa Mark IV sold for a
Marshall JCM800 2210 sold for a
Marshall JCM800 2203 sold
VHT Pitbull sold just after getting an
SLO100 (still have it, had two at one point)
Marshall JMP 2203 sold
Bogner 100B (still have it)
Marshall Super Bass (still have it)

There has been a lot of junk in there but these represent the bulk of the heavy iron (250ML notwithstanding).

I did not have the same VHT experience most people seem to. When I first got it I was really taken by its wallop on the low end and brutal metal tone. I felt it was a 5150 killer. This was before they started doing the graphic EQ and channel flexibility they now have. Anyway, the day I realized its days were numbered was when I brought home a really tight sounding 2203 (they vary) and doing an A/B it just crushed the VHT for the tone I like (which is not a brutal metal tone). When I found my first SLO in 1994 I sold everything to buy that but the VHT did get a quick A/B before it went and (to me and what I like) the SLO really chowed down on the Pitbull. I lot of guys here like VHT and they are definitely sweet, but I could not get into mine.

I finally got a chance to A/B the 100B with a late model Pitbull at an amp shootout with some local guys. Again, the VHT sounded great but it was not as toneful or sweet to my ears. The Bogner does a great job of filling a lot of shoes and while it is difficult to apply a dollar figure to tone, you have to go by how much it is worth to you to have "your" tone in the amp you are playing.

To me the Bogner does a stellar job on the green, a very nice mid-gain 2203 type tone on the blue channel, and is a perfect modded Marshall high-gain tone on the red. The Bogner definitely has Marshall roots and that might have been the clutch for me.

The SLO is still the most pure of the bunch (until you play an old non-MV Marshall) and my favorite all time amp. Again this is all to my ears and I agree that pound for pound if you are looking at $3k vs. $1.5k for a given amp, it is all up to the ear of the beholder. However, I heard the difference and went for it on the 100B and the SLO! [img]/images/graemlins/tongue.gif[/img]

Funny how even through all these boo-teek amps I have a history of returning to Marshalls.

Any way you slice it if you are playing a VHT, Bogner, or Soldano you have a serious backline. BUT if you want to get that "Somewhere In Time" tone...GK all the way!!!!

Bret

[dinkyjacksonman]

Re: the Bogner has landed

Congrats Shawn!
Another cool amp!!
[img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

[Shawn Lutz]

Re: the Bogner has landed

Thanks Toru...bring Big Red over for a test drive [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

Hey Bill thanks for the kind words, I really appreciate.

The SLO was the other amp I was considering but I was really liked having the 1/2 power switch. I also found out today when I went from the new mode to old mode it knocks it in 1/2 power again (how cool) so I was getting some pretty good sweet ans soaring tone are fairly moderate levels, the walls weren't shaking as it was at about 1/4 power.

I would like to hear the UL but I get the impression that is the ultra gain monster VHT but gain ain't my bag. I like having enough of it to where I don't need a pedal in front but thats about it. The CL fits the bill perfectly for me, mine is a 96 model. You might want to give them another try Bret but judging by the list of what you still have, you cover all the bases pretty good [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

I love Marshalls and JCM 800 2203 is one of may favorites amps for my kinda of music, just killer tone with a SD-1 and maybe even a GE-7 to shape it a bit more. Noisy but damn sweet sounding when cranked and playing, simplicity at its finest as it does one thing very well (to me Marshall bashers) [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]