Bogner Helios

[joepete77]

No doubt about it, transformers make a difference. Of course when builders get found using them they claim that it is because they sound best and cost had nothing to do with their decision. As said by someone above earlier, transformers are the most expensive parts in a build, classictone are at least half the cost of the competition. They may figure the other brands aren't twice as good but I still think that if all the transformer companies had same price that many of the above listed boutique builders would choose differently. I was shocked to find classictone in a super expensive amp. Imagine the outrage if mike put classictone in the slo.

 

[Racerxrated]

I guess if tone is the big deciding factor the classic tones sounded pretty good to me...but of course I sent those amps on their way so I can't say whether or not they will last as long as one of the more expensive transformers. And if my brand new amp showed up with bent transformers, I'd be a little pissed....just saying.

 

[Killcrop]

Don't Wizards cost over 4K? Seems like they should sound better for almost double the price.

 

[RACKSYSTEMS]

So does the BE100

Just to clarify the BE-100 has a Magnetic components custom power transformer a mercury choke and a Heyboer output trans. All chosen for a reason. Most of my other amps have a similar transfomer compliment. My favorite output transformers are made by Heyboer period.

 

[RACKSYSTEMS]

To add to this the only transformer company that's really expensive in Mercury. Heyboer and Magnetic components are a very similar price in oem qty's. Really these companies are the main ones used in all Botique amps. Chris Merens Transformers are great but kind of hard to use in large qty's because he hand builds them.

 

[Moshaholic]

So does the BE100

Just to clarify the BE-100 has a Magnetic components custom power transformer a mercury choke and a Heyboer output trans. All chosen for a reason...

Hence the massive boner I get every time I turn on my BE100 and let her rip !!!

 

[supersonic]

Another thread turned into Friedman, great.

 

[tonedog]

This shit is all subjective and I like the Helios better than the Wizard MC . The Helios is everything I wanted out of every Diezel, Bogner, VHT, Egnater and the many, many other amps I have had. May not work for everyone but sure works for me.

 

[braintheory]

This shit is all subjective and I like the Helios better than the Wizard MC . The Helios is everything I wanted out of every Diezel, Bogner, VHT, Egnater and the many, many other amps I have had. May not work for everyone but sure works for me.

What about it did you prefer to the MC?

 

[tonedog]

Just the way it responds and the bogner flavor is present which I like. I think it sounds better at lower volumes as well but cranked up past noon in 70s mode with gain dimed it sings and does not hurt you. You can make it bright and cutting, vintagey sweet but for me it is a huge bunch of tones on tap in an amp that can do many things well. The way it feels is a stand out for me.

 

[Erock]

I must have gotten really lucky with mine too. It's dead nuts quiet, I don't get any hum unless my ear is jammed in the headshell. My tranny legs are all straight too. Mine also has a really nice feel, not super stiff at all. I usually boost everything to get the feel I want, but I really enjoy this amp straight in. I do not care for stiff amps at all, they need to have that bounce and push back against your fingers, or I won't like the feel. I've owned the mc, and while it was one of my favorite amps, I needed a boost with it. Straight in, it just wasn't aggressive enough for me. I can play this amp straight in, and get that boosted aggressive feel, or I can pull it back and externally boost it for different flavors. I can't really think of an amp I've like both ways like that, it's usually one or the other. The Herbert and xtc 20th are the only other amps I can think of that I liked both ways, and still preferred an external boost.

The other amps I've owned that I liked better without a boost, were the engl SE, Cameron ccv, atomica, Aldrich, and mako dorado/mak2. The problem with all of those however, was I didn't like how a boost sounded with any of them. Like boosting a boost pedal. I get sick of an amp if I can't use a boost for differernt gain flavors. The way reinhold incorporated his clipping circuit with this amp, it's the only diode amp I've liked juicing the input.

This is all just referring to the 80s hot mode. I've just begun to scratch the surface of the 70s mode. I've been too busy trying all my axes with this amp, they all seem to really show off their different character with it moreso than a lot of amps.

 

[tonedog]

Yep Erock I could not agree more. The amp allows the individual guitars to sound like themselves more than any amp I have had and 80s mode boosted or un-boosted is a glorious sounding channel with in my mind the perfect amount of compression and bite. My trannies are perfectly straight after a 2500 mile ups ride and the amp is dead quiet.

 

[jcm800x4]

Just got a Helios a couple of weeks ago. I'm the biggest wizard fan out there. In fact....I have an MC, an MCII, a Metal and a Vintage classic...(yes my divorce attourney is on speed dial) I dig the Helios. To me its completely different than the 4 wizards. Its an exteremely cool modded plexi amp. The wizards have their own thing going. (i know everyone says that about everything but its true in this case except for the vintage classic which is a plexi thru and thru) The build quality of a wizard is off the charts. Stupid good. The Helios is built well too. I have no issuses with the build. Having said that....If I could only have one amp of the 5....my original MC would be the one.

 

[lespaul6]

Just got a Helios a couple of weeks ago. I'm the biggest wizard fan out there. In fact....I have an MC, an MCII, a Metal and a Vintage classic...(yes my divorce attourney is on speed dial) I dig the Helios. To me its completely different than the 4 wizards. Its an exteremely cool modded plexi amp. The wizards have their own thing going. (i know everyone says that about everything but its true in this case except for the vintage classic which is a plexi thru and thru) The build quality of a wizard is off the charts. Stupid good. The Helios is built well too. I have no issuses with the build. Having said that....If I could only have one amp of the 5....my original MC would be the one.

 

[Schaf]

I've spoken with Bill Landry and he insists that all the transformer talk is overblown. I'm pretty sure he uses or has used classic tones in his amps which sound amazing....

Have you ever spoken to Chris Merren? Transformers matter more than power tubes. An under built versus a high quality build matters a lot. Give Chris a call. ClassicTone sounds pretty good but they aren't built as well as some others. Merren can go into the winding process and why one is better than another. He rags on Mercury for being poor quality. He knows the process they use to wind them and he knows vintage process as well. Has Landry spent years studying them? I want a high dollar amp to have higher quality. In comparison to the 3600 modded Marshall I guess I shouldn't complain. My bad. Classic Tone all the way

Of course Chris knows his shit, but he does have a vested interest as well. I'm wondering if most could tell in a blind test. I doubt it. Also, I would have to say the tone the Wizard has is a combination of circuit and componants.

It's like everything else. A matter of preference.