Used Price Check & Should I buy This Amp? (Bogner guys please chime in)

[angelspade]

I've been considering a Bogner 101B for quite some time and one showed up recently in near mint condition, wheat face grill with the A / B option at what appears to be a decent price. I've never owned one, but have always found something really appealing about the vids / clips of this amp. The mids have something special, they don't seem to sit low (like a Mesa Recto or Diezel Herbert) or high (like a Marshall or ENGL), but right in the middle...and there's just this kind of swirling, chewy, complexity that seems hard to describe. Here are my questions:

- What should I be paying?

- How does it sound at reasonable living room volumes? (I understand almost all amps sound better opened up a bit)

-I know it's not a ultra "tight" amp, but is it tight enough for fast palm mutes when dialed in correctly?

-Is there enough gain for metal? (listening the Zan Amps demo, it certainly seems there is, but I want to hear real world opinions from the board)

-What speakers pair best with this amp for hard rock and metal applications?

Any and all thoughts appreciated, thanks guys.

 

[ChurchHill]

I'd say go for it. If it turns out it's not your thing, you won't lose much on resale.

Price would depend on year and condition (near mint). If it's recent (<10 years), I'd say around $2500, but I haven't really been in the market for one, so that's just a rough guess.

Yeah, it's definitely tight enough for fast chugs, at least for me. I don't get much heavier than early thrash. Takes EQs and ODs well, too.

Plenty of gain for metal. The real strength of the XTC is the singing leads and the dynamic mid/high gain, but it makes a fantastic metal amp.

I've had good luck with V30s, which IIRC is what comes in the cabs it was designed for. It's also great with Greenbacks and G12-65s.

For me, the XTC is one of the greatest amps of all time. It's my favorite lead voice. Definitely has its own voice, swirling, chewy complexity is a good way to describe it. It won't replace my Herbert, Jose, UL, SLO, or MkIII, but those amps can't do what the XTC does, either.

 

[skoora]

You're probably looking at higher 2K's to 3K these days. The Class A option is not as common and may or may not garner extra as a lot of people don't care about it. Personally I like it and would look for one that has it.
You could always look up sale history on Reverb but there's never too many for sale at any given time so the pool is always small.
I would say if you saw what you wanted for closer to 2500, don't hesitate because that would probably go pretty quick. Prices may come down if the 104 gains traction as the next best thing from Bogner.

I would say yes to all the thoughts on using to for metal. Just get the Presence up there.

 

[Nigel]

You're probably looking at higher 2K's to 3K these days. The Class A option is not as common and may or may not garner extra as a lot of people don't care about it. Personally I like it and would look for one that has it.
You could always look up sale history on Reverb but there's never too many for sale at any given time so the pool is always small.
I would say if you saw what you wanted for closer to 2500, don't hesitate because that would probably go pretty quick. Prices may come down if the 104 gains traction as the next best thing from Bogner.

I would say yes to all the thoughts on using to for metal. Just get the Presence up there.

Cathode Bias (“Class A”) mode is awesome.

 

[Rackman]

I think they're good amps. I know there's a complicated history of model changes to the 101B, but I don't know the details. Just that they're not all the same by any means.

I think the Zen amps demo is representative of what they're like. Everyone who says crank the presence is right - think of 3:00 as the center of the knob.

V30s seem to be the primary speaker choice. I have a 104BV and that's what I use and I can't see myself going to H creambacks or anything.

 

[angelspade]

I think the Zen amps demo is representative of what they're like. Everyone who says crank the presence is right - think of 3:00 as the center of the knob.

Yeah...I feel like this metal tone (4:55) particularly the midrange character is something that I have been chasing as seems fairly unique to the Bogner 101B:

 

[Jccobb2]

If it’s 2500 or less just buy it. You can flip it at that price with no effort. Fucking amazing amp that takes a bit to learn.

Blue channel, boost on, structure loose, new style, class ab, bright 1, bass and mid around noon, treble at 2 o’clock.

If that doesn’t make your pants tight than move it along. That’s as good as it gets.

 

[TheGreatGreen]

- How does it sound at reasonable living room volumes? (I understand almost all amps sound better opened up a bit)

101B's have some of the best Master volumes around. They sound great at sub-TV volume.

-I know it's not a ultra "tight" amp, but is it tight enough for fast palm mutes when dialed in correctly?

Depends on your playing. They're not what I'd call the same level of modern and tight as the amps coming out these days, but if you have a strong right hand, you can get some good articulation out of an Ecstasy. But a good EQ pedal in front to cut lows will tighten it up a lot either way, hah.

-Is there enough gain for metal? (listening the Zan Amps demo, it certainly seems there is, but I want to hear real world opinions from the board)

Yes. Red channel in High structure mode and Gain boost on with B2 bright switch enabled, again along with a bass cutting eq pedal, will be plenty for metal.

-What speakers pair best with this amp for hard rock and metal applications?

Depends on what you like. Generally though, V30's and Greenbacks work great with the XTC.


101B Red channel boosted with a GE-7 in front. There's also EVH style pitch shift and probably some mid cutting EQ in post but here you go:



101B Red channel, gain boost on, double tracked. I don't remember everything else going on with the chain, maybe there was a GE-7 boosting but not totally sure. Probably some post EQ as well.