New Bogner XTC 104BV

[101B /^/]

I’ll respectfully disagree the xtc can’t do metal. I’ve never heard the classic is like the 101b on low structure but if that’s the case I can see why metal heads would want more. My 101b (2003) has tons of gain & the bright switches allow for subtle but nice tone shaping. I get more clank & deeper bass from the red channel using the b2 bright switch but like the new 104, the bright switches don’t work when gain's dimed. With volume & the right guitar the xtc gives up the goods and flat out roars through a good cab. Excursion on tight for fast and switched to loose for huge sounding leads.

ZEN AmpVault video shown above at 4:56 does a pretty decent job of capturing the basic character of the xtc’s metal side but it sounds a bit fizzy and doesn’t capture the grinding roar the xtc has. I’ll concede the xtc's bass may not be the tightest & immediate but it can be tightened quite a bit compared to the video (eg: eq in the loop). Do note I’m stuck in the 80’s (eg: preist, maiden, mercyful fate, metal church, megadeth, etc) - so take it fwiw.

 

[JustinCorrigible]

Of the ones I've actually played? Dual Rectifer (barely), 5150 and derivatives, Diezel VH4 Channel 3 and 4, Diezel Herbert, Framus Cobra, Bogner Uberschall, VHT/Fryette Ultra Lead and Deliverance, Rivera K-Tre, Hiwatt Super-Hi, most KSR amps, maybe some Engls, some Randalls (Thrasher and Satan), some Laney amps (the Ironheart series), etc. There are tons of more recent high-gain amps that I'm sure fit the bill. But I've not personally played them. Like Omega, Driftwood, Wizard Hellrazor, etc.

Then there are the diode clipping JMP/800 clones that can do modern metal with a boost (Cameron Jose, CCV, Fortin Meshuggah, etc.) and Wizard MTL, Silver Jub, etc.

Amps like the XTC, Shiva, SLO, many older Mark Series amps, H&K, and so on are absolutely high-gainers with great sounds. But I think many of them need a boost to deliver the goods for modern metal. Keep in mind "metal" goes all the way back to the early '70s. So can an XTC get enough gain for some Deep Purple or Alice in Chains or Bush or Metallica or Creed? Sure. But would it be a smart choice for modern day Meshuggah? I'm not convinced.

I just saw a video that came out today of someone doing "Drop C Chugs" on a Shiva. Sounds great. But again... not my idea of modern-day metal tones because it's still quite loose and ragged sounding and if it wasn't tuned to Drop C, it wouldn't sound nearly as heavy. There's a reason Tesseract, Periphery, Meshuggah, Jinjer, Monuments, Animals as Leaders, and so on don't use amps like the XTC...

Most modern metal bands are using modelers and profilers, not tube amps: Kemper, Fractal, Helix... or running clean amps as pedal platforms for high-gain sounds to stay clear for 7, 8. and 9-string guitars.

Right now, if I had to reach for a few tube amps for modern-day "metal", they would be:

1. 5150 III
2. KSR of some sort
3. Hiwatt Super-Hi
4. Highly modified 800 with a boost
5. Diezel Herbert
6. Boosted Mesa Rectifier or newer Mark

But honestly, most bands are running Fractal or Helix live.

I have @glpg80's XTC. Red channel has plenty for modern high gain in my opinion, doesn't fart out with my 7 string in Drop A.

 

[Eazy-ESP]

Hopefully some better demos come out. I’m just going to be honest, it sounded bland to me.

 

[glpg80]

Coliseums are next level. Even the IIB Loop moded one I had was gainy clear and the most massive sounding amp I've ever heard.

Yeah the XTC I had first and then the Coliseum came after. I absolutely loved my XTC but it needed to be played more. It’s absolutely a killer amp and possibly one of a kind? I never had gain issues with it and it was dumb fucking loud.

 

[glpg80]

I have @glpg80's XTC. Red channel has plenty for modern high gain in my opinion, doesn't fart out with my 7 string in Drop A.

Glad you’re loving it - that one’s special. I’ve heard of people getting XTC’s after having a killer one and it’s not the same for whatever reason. The mid to late 90’s models are next level.

 

[darkscarf]

Nothing in that video, where you linked, sounds like modern high-gain/metal to me. It's fine for rock. But not where my mind goes for modern metal of today.

Well, there's a difference between "enough gain" and "voicing", I believe your first statement was regarding the amount of gain. I will agree that they do not have the voicing of a modern metal amp but have gobs of gain, saturation and sustain in the video.

 

[CarlF]

I commend Reinhold Bogner for updating and modernizing the Ecstasy.
Mike Soldano ought to take note and update the SLO 100 so it’s at least like the preamp the X 88 IR

 

[FourT6and2]

Well, there's a difference between "enough gain" and "voicing", I believe your first statement was regarding the amount of gain. I will agree that they do not have the voicing of a modern metal amp but have gobs of gain, saturation and sustain in the video.

Sure, I agree with that. If we're just talking about actual gain, then totally. A stock, boosted 800 has enough gain for most metal and so does an XTC. But the voicing and feel and timbre aren't there for me.