Has anybody played a Bogner Shiva and Elmwood Modena...?

[Random Hero]

And compared the two?

What were your thoughts?

 

[LP Freak]

The Elmwood is much more hi fi sounding where the Shiva is more raw in in your face. The Shiva's mids are voiced a little higher too.

 

[glassjaw7]

I played both back to back quite a few years ago now.

I liked the Shiva's voicing and overall feel much more but remember thinking at that time that there wasn't enough gain. The Elmwood did nothing for me. I think it may have been in need of new glass because it just sounded buzzy and shrill. There was a decent tone in there but the gain structure was all over the place. Almost had a fuzz quality.

I agree with LP about the mids being voiced higher.

 

[Random Hero]

Not enough gain for what styles?

 

[glassjaw7]

Not enough gain for what styles?

It couldn't get into that singing lead territory like the Ecstasy does. I had to fight it a bit. It had a decent amount but I was just wishing it had that little extra bit more without kicking a pedal in. I was also surprised that it had about half the gain of the 6v6 Duende I played.

Funny thing is, I played a 6L6 Shiva combo a couple years after that and it seemed to have a lot more gain and I liked the clean channel a lot more. I'm not really a player who needs a shit load of gain but I don't like having to fight an amp. Some of my favorite players use the Shiva and get plenty of gain out of it (Justin Derrico for example) Who knows, maybe both amps were in need of a retube.

 

[Red_Label]

Owned/gigged an EL34 Shiva. Had a friend's M60 (also EL34) in my possession for a while and used it in band practice. Elmwood was good, but darker. Seemed muddy in comparison. In full disclosure, I never cared for the Shiva's OD alone. Used an OCD to tighten it up and give it some note definition and clarity. The M60 had more than enough gain for the AIC type stuff I was doing in that band.

Anyways... Elmwoods are great amps. But I miss the Shiva at times... not the Elmwood.

 

[Random Hero]

Not enough gain for what styles?

It couldn't get into that singing lead territory like the Ecstasy does. I had to fight it a bit. It had a decent amount but I was just wishing it had that little extra bit more without kicking a pedal in. I was also surprised that it had about half the gain of the 6v6 Duende I played.

Funny thing is, I played a 6L6 Shiva combo a couple years after that and it seemed to have a lot more gain and I liked the clean channel a lot more. I'm not really a player who needs a shit load of gain but I don't like having to fight an amp. Some of my favorite players use the Shiva and get plenty of gain out of it (Justin Derrico for example) Who knows, maybe both amps were in need of a retube.

I think Derrico uses an Ego Compressor before the amp? Not quite sure why he uses a compressor and not a regular OD...?

 

[glassjaw7]

Not enough gain for what styles?

It couldn't get into that singing lead territory like the Ecstasy does. I had to fight it a bit. It had a decent amount but I was just wishing it had that little extra bit more without kicking a pedal in. I was also surprised that it had about half the gain of the 6v6 Duende I played.

Funny thing is, I played a 6L6 Shiva combo a couple years after that and it seemed to have a lot more gain and I liked the clean channel a lot more. I'm not really a player who needs a shit load of gain but I don't like having to fight an amp. Some of my favorite players use the Shiva and get plenty of gain out of it (Justin Derrico for example) Who knows, maybe both amps were in need of a retube.

I think Derrico uses an Ego Compressor before the amp? Not quite sure why he uses a compressor and not a regular OD...?

I sometimes use an MXR custom shop comp to boost. It gives the notes a little bigger sound as opposed to most overdrives that sort of thin it out. I always go back to using an od or straight into amp though. Compressors are cool but they're not an always-on kind of pedal for me.