Bogner XTCs

[rcm78]

I really love the powersection options. I run my classic in Full Power, Class A, Old. Switching it to New really makes the amp more responsive and punchy with a noticeable volume boost...

 

[King Loudness]

Love my XTC. I've only had it since November, but it rips. Mine's an '05, so it has the red channel updates and sounds glorious. Best amp I've ever owned.

W.

 

[ssyrjamaki]

2002 101b, here... Great amp. Can't imagine you'd be dissapointed

 

[RSRD]

Love my XTC. I've only had it since November, but it rips. Mine's an '05, so it has the red channel updates and sounds glorious. Best amp I've ever owned.

W.[/quote


Can you clarify the when's and what's on the red channel update?

 

[TrueTone500]

I think the ecstasy is a great amp. Owned one in the late 90's. Just don't get one thinking you'll get great Marshall tones. I sold it because I missed that certain top end thing that a good 70's, early 80's Marshall gets. Don't get me wrong, I think the Bogner is sweet but it's a different animal. The blue channel is nice but I'd take a good 6 knob Marshall any day over it. I'd love to have one now because i wouldn't be trying to replace my Marshall with it. They are a warmer, darker amp but I found if you pretty much max the presence they can rock pretty hard and the red channel really comes alive for more metal stuff. I just wish the clean channel would break up worth a damn i.e. toneful breakup, not the harsh thing it has now. If the clean channel could distort more musically I bet in class A mode it would be a killer.

That's why I prefer the early (white-chassis) models over the black chassis ones. I don't know what was done differently, but the clean channel on the later models just doesn't sound as organic to me? I heard the output transformers are different, but I don't really see why that would matter. I went through 3 black chassis XTC's comparing them to my '95, but they just didn't have that "raw" feel to them? They had a bit more gain - but that's not what I was looking for. I'm sure there's plenty of people who prefer the more compressed sound of the later ones though. To each his own...

 

[RSRD]

The 100B was sweet, but it's clean channel was a generic "Fender" type with no chance of break-up at all.

For me, this would be awesome. I know most ppl like a little break up on channel one but I really want a pure fender-ish clean. I her enough useable/beautiful grit on the blue channel.

Damn Im gasing for the XTC bad. Just put an ad on the classifieds for a classic or 20th. If the local 101b happens I wont complain either

 

[steve_k]

My biggest obstacle with a 101B is the shared EQ on the blue/red channel. It was tough for me to set it up in that regard for channel switching without a quick tweak. The 20th took care of that though and FWIW would be in my top 5 or so amps to own (again). Never tried the earlier XTC revisions, but most guys swear by them. Bogner is an acquired taste and most of his amp line up doesn't sound like anything else....it sounds like a Bogner!

 

['63-Strat]

I have a 20th Ecstasy and really like it...had a 101b before it, but wanted more of an open and cutting tone. My advice with these amps is to keep the gain as low as you can get by with and let the power section cook. Particularly if the 'B1' dip switch is engaged....I think I run my red channel gain at 10 o'clock and it sings for leads and crushes for heavy stuff. Great amps. My favorite of the Bogner line.

Yep, all of the controls are more responsive running the gain lower

 

[jlbaxe]

The 100B was sweet, but it's clean channel was a generic "Fender" type with no chance of break-up at all.

For me, this would be awesome. I know most ppl like a little break up on channel one but I really want a pure fender-ish clean. I her enough useable/beautiful grit on the blue channel.

Damn Im gasing for the XTC bad. Just put an ad on the classifieds for a classic or 20th. If the local 101b happens I wont complain either

I checked out ur RSRD Facebook page and wasn't sure if u would like the clean or if it might fit the progressive style music. Most people on here could care less about clean. I'm more of a jazz/blues/classic rock so I am more on clean to the lighter end of overdrive but my amp will deffinately get heavyish. I do jam out to Alice in Chains on it.

 

[TrueTone500]

The 100B was sweet, but it's clean channel was a generic "Fender" type with no chance of break-up at all.

For me, this would be awesome. I know most ppl like a little break up on channel one but I really want a pure fender-ish clean. I her enough useable/beautiful grit on the blue channel.

Damn Im gasing for the XTC bad. Just put an ad on the classifieds for a classic or 20th. If the local 101b happens I wont complain either

Well, that's what makes the w/c 101B so nice. You get the 100B clean tones - plus the added feature of introducing more gain for some sweet breakage. Increased clarity too if needed. The pre-eq switch also makes it friendly for humbucker, active, or single coil pickups. The assignable presence really helps with the shared blue/red channel EQ thing...

If you're into the 100B, then you should consider an MK50H II. I gigged with both, and they sound VERY close! The MK50H II wins with its simplicity, superior effects loop, and that signature bottom-end/lower-mid that can only come from a Cornford. I use a Cornford Hurricane to cover those "power-blues" tones.

 

[zee1usa]

101B = High school sweetheart!

 

[_actual time_]

Can you clarify the when's and what's on the red channel update?

they changed a component on the red channel's gain structure around 2004. it's a cap & resistor IIRC bridged across one of the board resistors. it raises the amount of gain on the red channel, both in boosted mode and unboosted mode.

it's easy to add it yourself to a pre-2004 model and remove it from a post-2004 one. there's lots of info on it online, especially on the Bogner forums. there's even a guy, forum name Marvel, who sold little circuit boards that would let you switch between the pre-2004, post-, and a Mark Cameron cap & resistor combo. search "Marvel mod."

i really dig my XTC. i have it set up for a tighter chunkier sound, still squishy but the red channel tight enough in the low end of good palm-muting. the N/B1/B2 switches and the pre-2004/post- red channel gain for me change the tone not just the brightness or gain. so i set them where i like the tone (post-2004 higher gain sounds tighter) and adjust the knobs after that (i run the red channel Gain knob low, but i get plenty of gain because i'm using the post-2004 higher gain).

the shared blue & red EQ hasn't bothered me. i use the assignable Presence controls and the N/B1/B2 switches to tweak the red separate from the blue.

 

[RSRD]

I just listened to OUT THERE on your myspace page. thats a great song! did you use the xtc on it? the whole song is great and the part at 2:26 is bad ass.

thanks for the info. I'll check out the marvel mod.

 

[RSRD]

I checked out ur RSRD Facebook page and wasn't sure if u would like the clean or if it might fit the progressive style music. Most people on here could care less about clean. I'm more of a jazz/blues/classic rock so I am more on clean to the lighter end of overdrive but my amp will deffinately get heavyish. I do jam out to Alice in Chains on it.

Both of the songs on our FB page I was using the 20th A Shiva for cleans. So I do have that channel for recording. But it seems like if you are playing Jazz and classic you should have a usable clean on your amp? Im trying to find a way to A/B the classic clean VS the 20th A xtc clean. But I can't find either in NoVA.

 

[_actual time_]

I just listened to OUT THERE on your myspace page. thats a great song! did you use the xtc on it? the whole song is great and the part at 2:26 is bad ass.

thanks man!!

no, that's not the XTC. it was a peavey rock master preamp into a boogie 50/50, plus a bunch of post-production by a grammy-winning engineer buddy of mine. almost 13 years ago--wow.

I'll check out the marvel mod.

it's a nice flexibility to have in the amp and is easy to do, if you know how to solder. lots of people did the mod, so if you look around here for a 101B, it might come with it already done (mine did).

 

[RG955TT]

My favorites hands down and I've tried lots of amps. Have 101b, 20th 6L6 and 20th EL34. The 20th w/El34's is my main gigging amp right now displacing the 101b. I just discovered that for me no preEQ on red, half power, presence at 3oclock bass at 3 and treble at 12 and mids dimed is the best brownest sound yet! Simply killer for all of your rock favorites, covers everything my band does well from U2 to Foo Fighters to VH to Metallica to older stuff like Nugent and Joe Walsh and evrything in between. Honestly one of the most versatile amps I've ever owned or played period. No mods neccesary on the 20th, no tube changes either, loves cheap Chinese 12ax7's. Running EL34BHT's from Dougs Tubes in power section. Lovin it!

 

[jlbaxe]

I checked out ur RSRD Facebook page and wasn't sure if u would like the clean or if it might fit the progressive style music. Most people on here could care less about clean. I'm more of a jazz/blues/classic rock so I am more on clean to the lighter end of overdrive but my amp will deffinately get heavyish. I do jam out to Alice in Chains on it.

Both of the songs on our FB page I was using the 20th A Shiva for cleans. So I do have that channel for recording. But it seems like if you are playing Jazz and classic you should have a usable clean on your amp? Im trying to find a way to A/B the classic clean VS the 20th A xtc clean. But I can't find either in NoVA.

I had a Bogner Cameron mod'd Uber with a Shiva Clean. Not having a Shiva to compare with the Uber I can tell you that the Shiva clean mod was just barley a tad clean and sparkly and the XTC has a tad more warmth but not overdrive to it. I liked both but ended up selling the Uber and all of my other amps and kept the 20th x and Mesa MK III. The Uber did Alice In Chains almost to a T. I had the Jerry Cantrell settings for his Uber

I am amazed that the amp running into the 20th Bog cab w/V30s is as clean as it is.

 

[TrueTone500]

My favorites hands down and I've tried lots of amps. Have 101b, 20th 6L6 and 20th EL34. The 20th w/El34's is my main gigging amp right now displacing the 101b. I just discovered that for me no preEQ on red, half power, presence at 3oclock bass at 3 and treble at 12 and mids dimed is the best brownest sound yet! Simply killer for all of your rock favorites, covers everything my band does well from U2 to Foo Fighters to VH to Metallica to older stuff like Nugent and Joe Walsh and evrything in between. Honestly one of the most versatile amps I've ever owned or played period. No mods neccesary on the 20th, no tube changes either, loves cheap Chinese 12ax7's. Running EL34BHT's from Dougs Tubes in power section. Lovin it!

My '95 Bogner "chews-up" EL34BHT tubes like the bitz-nitz! SED =C= and German OO getter Siemens are the only tubes I can use. Screen voltages exceed 500 VDC!

 

[RG955TT]

The Ruby EL34 BHT was made to be able to handle high screen voltages, what issues were you having? I've had these in both my 101b and the 20th with no issues to date. Doug at Doug's tubes said they can handle very high voltages, designed as an extra rugged EL34. Yeh, my PV is around 535v.

 

[Shawn Lutz]

how do you date them? I got my 101B used in 2004, it has the symbols for a serial number but how would one date that?