Bogner Ecstasy Classic Tube Layout

[joafink2]

Anybody have the tube layout for this amp?

I have one that’s killer sounding. But the clean channel is having volume swells. Thinking it’s a bad preamp tube. Anyone know which preamp tube (or tubes) are correlated with the clean channel?

 

[Scot]

See pics for tube layout from the online xtc manual (2004). Technically the manual's for the 101B but I’m guessing tube layout is the same.

 

[Scot]

Updating to add a nice tube layout of the xtc I discovered through the search function. This one shows what each triode’s function is in the preamp. Thanks to the original poster who shared the info (see image below) - I’ve found it quite helpful to pick apart the nuances of the xtc’s preamp section. I’ve tried a small handful of various preamp tubes including some nice nos tubes (Mullard/Amperex, RCA,etc). In the end, it seems to be chinese preamp tubes at V1,V2,&V3 for me thus far - no other tube I’ve found has the richness of the chinese tubes in my amp. I sometimes use a 12AU7 at V6 for the clean channel and a Sylvania 12AT7A at V5 (phase inverter) seems to have found a permanent spot in my amp because somehow every channel sounds better to me - more usable gain on CH3 especially. I don’t seem to hear much difference swapping out tubes at V4 (loop). I’ve also found that just because a preamp tube is noisy in one spot, it doesn’t mean it will be noisy in every spot. It’s definitely worth a try in other positions before pitching what could be a perfectly good tube.

Ironically - I’ve been using a pair of old =C= power tubes that don’t perfectly match while rolling through the preamp. I also have no clue whether the 12AT7A I have at V5 (PI) is ‘balanced’ or not. My amp’s never sounded better.

 

[rockford]

Updating to add a nice tube layout of the xtc I discovered through the search function. This one shows what each triode’s function is in the preamp. Thanks to the original poster who shared the info (see image below) - I’ve found it quite helpful to pick apart the nuances of the xtc’s preamp section. I’ve tried a small handful of various preamp tubes including some nice nos tubes (Mullard/Amperex, RCA,etc). In the end, it seems to be chinese preamp tubes at V1,V2,&V3 for me thus far - no other tube I’ve found has the richness of the chinese tubes in my amp. I sometimes use a 12AU7 at V6 for the clean channel and a Sylvania 12AT7A at V5 (phase inverter) seems to have found a permanent spot in my amp because somehow every channel sounds better to me - more usable gain on CH3 especially. I don’t seem to hear much difference swapping out tubes at V4 (loop). I’ve also found that just because a preamp tube is noisy in one spot, it doesn’t mean it will be noisy in every spot. It’s definitely worth a try in other positions before pitching what could be a perfectly good tube.

Ironically - I’ve been using a pair of old =C= power tubes that don’t perfectly match while rolling through the preamp. I also have no clue whether the 12AT7A I have at V5 (PI) is ‘balanced’ or not. My amp’s never sounded better.

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Where are you getting these chinese tubes from ? Were they original in the amp ore not ?

 

[Scot]

Welcome rockford - yes, chinese preamp tubes came stock in my amp, I think 8th or 9th gen. I've also acquired a good handful of 'square getter's' which to my ears are the ones to beat, but that was some time ago and I don't know current availability. I've read "Silver Dragons" are good chinese tubes but wouldn't know where to get them. My amp also came loaded with JJ Tesla EL34's marked ARS FWIW. Hope you're enjoying your amp.

 

[rockford]

Scot, your post leads me to mention tube choice in other amps as well. I just got a Marshall DSL 40 CR, and it was really usable right away, even with "Marshall" tubes. After trying a bunch of tested strong, low noise 1950's Long plate Mullard and long black plate RCA, the amp didnt sound or feel as good. Put most of the Marshall tubes back, sounded better. I should post this in the Marshall section.

 

[Scot]

The chinese tubes shown below are at V1-V3 in my amp. The 12AX7A marked ARS is a square getter and it's one of the preamp tubes that came stock in my amp. I keep it at V1. V2-V3's occupied by12AX7A's (circa' 2004/5) that have a round getter (also pictured).

I rolled through about a dozen of these same tubes to find ones sounding best in each spot. The xtc's pretty responsive to tube changes, including power tubes. My amp's from 2003 and for posterity I've included a picture of the original power tubes fr Bogner. They're perfectly matched and sound incredible to this day. I currently have RI Mullard EL34's in my amp.