So I just got a Bogner Alchemist head...

[Random Hero]

I'm not trying to be a smartass here but good god, what an awful sounding piece of shit. I plugged it in for 10 minutes but that was more than enough. I bought it unheard, based on clips, because it was pretty cheap and I was curious. My goodness, I have never heard anything so bad. I mean, maybe this unit is fucked, but based on this experience, I won't be buying another, that is for certain. It sounds truly lifeless, thin, cold and harsh. Just about the opposite of what I imagine when I think "Bogner".

Before the usual accusations... yes I turned it up. To about half way infact. And it still sounded horrifyingly bad, which makes me think either it or me is broken.

I'm pretty much lost for words other than that. I am truly aghast at how bad it sounds. It's not exaggeration to say I sat there the whole time thinking "lol, wtf?"

It's being returned tomorrow.

 

[Anonymous]

Did you at least try some good tubes in it?

 

[Audioholic]

I did not like the alchemist combo I tried one bit, but I have heard decent clips from them

 

[Random Hero]

Did you at least try some good tubes in it?

Honestly, I think this unit must be damaged in some way. I only have EL34s and two pre tubes laying around right now and I'm not prepared to pay out for new tubes only to have it be something else. I'd rather send it back and perhaps, once I've recovered from this shock, go and try another.

 

[Shiny_Surface]

lol, after seeing you prop it up and defend the Alchemist on the various forums for the past few months.

 

[Random Hero]

lol, after seeing you prop it up and defend the Alchemist on the various forums for the past few months.

I honestly hold my hands up. I'm shocked.

 

[glassjaw7]

Tried one in the Best Buy music store the other day and I got the same thing...aweful, harsh and fuzzy with no definition. The gain wouldn't go past the first stage.

Then I tried the combo and the head at GC and they sounded great! Not as good as the "real" Bogners, but I got a very nice singing lead tone and a pretty decent clean/crunch.
They must break down easily.

BTW, for that price range the Egnater Renegade smokes the Bogner!

 

[glpg80]

yup - sounds like shit.

i got ragged on the neal schons topic for saying this and then got the usual 5150 owners suck cock remarks right back at me.

glad you had the chance to experience it honestly, i played one for almost 10 minutes - total dissapointment.

 

[Random Hero]

yup - sounds like shit.

i got ragged on the neal schons topic for saying this and then got the usual 5150 owners suck cock remarks right back at me.

glad you had the chance to experience it honestly, i played one for almost 10 minutes - total dissapointment.

I was one of the people saying Schon has every right to use them! I hold my hands up and say that was based on clips and videos but I'd heard - or so I thought - enough to base an opinion that it didn't suck. I'm still leaning towards this one being broken in some way but I just don't know.

 

[glpg80]

im glad your shocked to be honest - because it said alot about bonger's tone to me. thats the only amplifier with a bogner name plate ive ever had the chance to play and it was terrible.

since you've owned/played the upper end stuff im glad they are nothing alike. but im like you - i still cringe to even think about owning anything bogner now.

 

[Random Hero]

im glad your shocked to be honest - because it said alot about bonger's tone to me. thats the only amplifier with a bogner name plate ive ever had the chance to play and it was terrible.

since you've owned/played the upper end stuff im glad they are nothing alike. but im like you - i still cringe to even think about owning anything bogner now.

Ha. This amp, if it isn't broken, is nothing like the Ecstasy I owned or the Shiva I played. I wouldn't let it put you off the higher end stuff but I couldn't honestly recommend this amp. I want to play another out of pure - perhaps morbid - curiosity but I'm getting my money back and playing one in a shop if I see one.

 

[glpg80]

im glad your shocked to be honest - because it said alot about bonger's tone to me. thats the only amplifier with a bogner name plate ive ever had the chance to play and it was terrible.

since you've owned/played the upper end stuff im glad they are nothing alike. but im like you - i still cringe to even think about owning anything bogner now.

Ha. This amp, if it isn't broken, is nothing like the Ecstasy I owned or the Shiva I played. I wouldn't let it put you off the higher end stuff but I couldn't honestly recommend this amp. I want to play another out of pure - perhaps morbid - curiosity but I'm getting my money back and playing one in a shop if I see one.

there was a GC that had two on top of each other.

i plugged into both. and being a grassroots blues player which is where i started to learn guitar, i didnt even think it could do a decent blues tone.

glad you are able to get your money back. if you get the chance play another - but i wouldnt hold your hopes up.

 

[Random Hero]

im glad your shocked to be honest - because it said alot about bonger's tone to me. thats the only amplifier with a bogner name plate ive ever had the chance to play and it was terrible.

since you've owned/played the upper end stuff im glad they are nothing alike. but im like you - i still cringe to even think about owning anything bogner now.

Ha. This amp, if it isn't broken, is nothing like the Ecstasy I owned or the Shiva I played. I wouldn't let it put you off the higher end stuff but I couldn't honestly recommend this amp. I want to play another out of pure - perhaps morbid - curiosity but I'm getting my money back and playing one in a shop if I see one.

there was a GC that had two on top of each other.

i plugged into both. and being a grassroots blues player which is where i started to learn guitar, i didnt even think it could do a decent blues tone.

glad you are able to get your money back. if you get the chance play another - but i wouldnt hold your hopes up.

Did both of them at GC sound the same?

 

[glpg80]

im glad your shocked to be honest - because it said alot about bonger's tone to me. thats the only amplifier with a bogner name plate ive ever had the chance to play and it was terrible.

since you've owned/played the upper end stuff im glad they are nothing alike. but im like you - i still cringe to even think about owning anything bogner now.

Ha. This amp, if it isn't broken, is nothing like the Ecstasy I owned or the Shiva I played. I wouldn't let it put you off the higher end stuff but I couldn't honestly recommend this amp. I want to play another out of pure - perhaps morbid - curiosity but I'm getting my money back and playing one in a shop if I see one.

there was a GC that had two on top of each other.

i plugged into both. and being a grassroots blues player which is where i started to learn guitar, i didnt even think it could do a decent blues tone.

glad you are able to get your money back. if you get the chance play another - but i wouldnt hold your hopes up.

Did both of them at GC sound the same?

there was a very small difference but i think it was because of where i was sitting in comparison to the other one. you kno what i mean?

basically yes, technically no. i didnt like them. i moved onto a used peavey with built in reverb that was pretty good and jammed on it instead.

 

[TX6Strings]

What speakers are you using with it? The head sounds GREAT through the matching cab but when I plugged it into a Marshall cab with 75s it sounded like open ass....I tried a few other cabs but thought it sounded best through the matching cab.

 

[Random Hero]

im glad your shocked to be honest - because it said alot about bonger's tone to me. thats the only amplifier with a bogner name plate ive ever had the chance to play and it was terrible.

since you've owned/played the upper end stuff im glad they are nothing alike. but im like you - i still cringe to even think about owning anything bogner now.

Ha. This amp, if it isn't broken, is nothing like the Ecstasy I owned or the Shiva I played. I wouldn't let it put you off the higher end stuff but I couldn't honestly recommend this amp. I want to play another out of pure - perhaps morbid - curiosity but I'm getting my money back and playing one in a shop if I see one.

there was a GC that had two on top of each other.

i plugged into both. and being a grassroots blues player which is where i started to learn guitar, i didnt even think it could do a decent blues tone.

glad you are able to get your money back. if you get the chance play another - but i wouldnt hold your hopes up.

Did both of them at GC sound the same?

there was a very small difference but i think it was because of where i was sitting in comparison to the other one. you kno what i mean?

basically yes, technically no. i didnt like them. i moved onto a used peavey with built in reverb that was pretty good and jammed on it instead.

Gotcha.

 

[Random Hero]

What speakers are you using with it? The head sounds GREAT through the matching cab but when I plugged it into a Marshall cab with 75s it sounded like open ass....I tried a few other cabs but thought it sounded best through the matching cab.

V30, the same speaker they ship the 1x12 with.

 

[amiller]

Didn't Bob Savage post a few Alchemist vids that sounded great?

 

[Rogue]

I played one at Best Buy. They had it running into a Marshall cab. It wasn't doing it. Later they got the matching cab. It sounded better. I've played it several times and never had the same experience twice. Some days it sounded good and others it did not. There was always a kind of oddity in the highs though that I could never get into.

It's a neat setup and fairly versatile, but in the end it just seemed to lack character.

 

[Anonymous]

I would agree with your evaluation...why bother with new tubes, speakers, etc.

You can't polish a turd if the base tone isn't there...