Bogner Helios owners, Killer amp or not so much?

  • Thread starter Thread starter sjk
  • Start date Start date
I've done two quick vids (just phone mic'd):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SBoi7Jv7w-o
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L2iU2gikTDE

I love the Ecstasy, but if you think (like many) it too compressed and dark then the Helios is fantastic. It sounds like a perfect Marshall to me, with the ability to get a cranked or modded (or modded + boosted) tone at any volume and with a great loop. It nails the Fair Warning tone, which is a benchmark for me, and can do the Marshall part of the EJ violin tone. Unlike the Ecstasy, it cannot do the Deluxe/Twin thing. It does a Marshall-styled clean which is cool, just different (and in a live situation may be easier to sort). My old Telecaster sounds FANTASTIC through it on the PLEX input.

I like the two-input architecture. I use the hotter input for humbuckers, and the plex input for single-coils (and then use a Dover Drive to drive it harder the way EJ does with the Butler Tube Drive).

I really like it. I like it better than the BE100 (which is a GREAT amp), but I am very partial to the tone that RB goes for.
 
Gas is getting hard to resist, and wondering if this the next one to buy?

This clip is great
 
Yeah.

Sounds great

Can't decide


Small box


Helios


Hmmmmm......
 
^ I'm sure this is the conundrum Reinhold had hoped many would have. Helios, or BE/Smallbox?...
 
Killer KIller amp!!! Love it!! To me it is better than any of the XTC's I have had and better than the 2 Friedmans I had as well. Not better than the SLO, but very different... Hell, I even sold off the last of my vintage Marshalls( a 71 Superbass and an 81 800) because it nails those tones only better and with more usable features , managable volume levels and a great effect loop.. PLus its new with lifetime warranty. It is the Ultimate Marshall... Best amp purchase in a long long time. And no its not for sale, but I do know where thee is a new one for sale from an authorized dealer. If interested. send me a pm.
 
Jdub":3hbkxy4n said:
Killer KIller amp!!! Love it!! To me it is better than any of the XTC's I have had and better than the 2 Friedmans I had as well. Not better than the SLO, but very different... Hell, I even sold off the last of my vintage Marshalls( a 71 Superbass and an 81 800) because it nails those tones only better and with more usable features , managable volume levels and a great effect loop.. PLus its new with lifetime warranty. It is the Ultimate Marshall... Best amp purchase in a long long time. And no its not for sale, but I do know where thee is a new one for sale from an authorized dealer. If interested. send me a pm.
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Could not agree more Jason. :rock:

Love this thing!!

Steve
 
Will have one of these at the end of the week or start of next week. Making this thread pushed my gas over the edge lol!
 
How does this compare to the XTC for high gain lead playing?
 
Jay Strange":zfawjnmc said:
SLOgriff":zfawjnmc said:
The Helios is a killer amp! IMO it has more livelier tones than the BE100 and a little more versatile. Unfortunately, Bogner kinda mucked up the marketing on the Helios and the delay of production seemed to put a weird vibe on the amp. It really is a cool amp and has some great tones! :rock:
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No way... The B100 is far more versatile than the Helios.
You cant have a high gain sound on one channel and a clean on the other channel
with the Helios..
To me, the Helios is a ONE channel amp.
.
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Sorry I havent read the specs but, you cant have clean if plug into top input and cant have dirt if you plug into bottom input like a 800?
 
Great amp but my main gripe was one the hot input you lose the clean channel (its there just way too dirty). For me since I play live and need a clean channel that was a deal breaker. I woudl have liked low input clean, hot input gain.
 
jharpersj":1fq8a13j said:
Great amp but my main gripe was one the hot input you lose the clean channel (its there just way too dirty). For me since I play live and need a clean channel that was a deal breaker. I woudl have liked low input clean, hot input gain.
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I agree, having the hot input separated from the 1st channel would have been nice. :)

There was also one issue I had that Charlie at Bogner said was "normal" that bugged me enough to move on from it...
 
wat was the issue that is "normal". PM if necessary plz.
 
My Bogner Helios is my Holy Grail tone monster. It's foot switchable between channel 1 & 2 and I switch between the plexi & hot inputs with a Morley A/B Y for the clean/dirty thing. Simple.
Depending on the venue, if ground hum is an issue by plugging into two inputs then use the Radial ABY it has a switch for phase canceling.
 
Shiny_Surface":z1gkw0ou said:
jharpersj":z1gkw0ou said:
Great amp but my main gripe was one the hot input you lose the clean channel (its there just way too dirty). For me since I play live and need a clean channel that was a deal breaker. I woudl have liked low input clean, hot input gain.
Click to expand...

I agree, having the hot input separated from the 1st channel would have been nice. :)

There was also one issue I had that Charlie at Bogner said was "normal" that bugged me enough to move on from it...
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:checkthisout: Lips sealed on this Tom?
 
rockinchippy":2zhuvylg said:
yngzaklynch":2zhuvylg said:
How does this compare to the XTC for high gain lead playing?
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I haven't owned an XTC in many years...not sure.
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Surprised you haven't checked out the 20th Anniversary Ecstasy
 
yngzaklynch":2toe7zva said:
How does this compare to the XTC for high gain lead playing?
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Have both and dig both but the Helios is more articulate and open while the XTC is more compressed and lacks the authority of the Helios. They are both great amps though and I love them for what they have to offer. Helios gets the nod as the better amp for me but the XTC does more.

 
yngzaklynch":1x76dm43 said:
How does this compare to the XTC for high gain lead playing?
Click to expand...



Have both and dig both but the Helios is more articulate and open while the XTC is more compressed and lacks the authority of the Helios. They are both great amps though and I love them for what they have to offer. Helios gets the nod as the better amp for me but the XTC does more.

 
yngzaklynch":1196ddnf said:
How does this compare to the XTC for high gain lead playing?
Click to expand...

They are both great at high gain lead tones. The Helios cuts like a saw. Searing lead tone for days. The XTC has such a wonderful give to the notes. You can dig in and feel the notes. So fluid and chewy. The Ecstasy has more gain overall.

Live is where the XTC pulls away. First off it's way more flexible. I like to play in plexi mode with the option for higher gain blue channel tones.

With the Helios, you can't switch like that. If there was channel switching between the Plexi(low) and Hot (high) modes that would solve that issue.
Secondly while the Helios is tighter and punchier it's also not as big sounding as the XTC. So you can chug away on the Helios and switch to the Red Channel of the XTC and it would just fucking bury it.
However the Helios clean channel doesn't have that issue. It's big and fat and warm. The gain channel loses something. The Goldfinger is the same way.

I personally like the XTC better. Mostly because of my needs in a live situation. However I think the Helios in Hot-70s mode sounds better than any sound in the XTC. The XTC just doesn't have quite the bite of the Helios. It's close but just a little to loosy goosy for that. But I have found if you are in the XTC Plexi mode and slam the front end with a Jetter Red pedal. That is pretty much Helios Hot 70s.

Edit: I forgot to mention. My XTC has the Marvel Mod, C40 clipped and KT88s in the power section. So it's not really your average 101b.
 
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