What happened to the Helios?

[supersonic]

 

[supersonic]

That makes sense, no threads. Guess I'll know when it comes out then.

 

[sjk]

Read over on TGP that the word directly from Bogner phone support was that the actual release is not near as soon as was stated at the LA amp show. The guy who posted that response said the guy on the phone at bogner even told him not to hold his breath

Bogner makes some great amps but you can't hardly write this stuff

 

[Jofipe]

Allot of marketing too early i guess... commercial adds, youtube, this and that.

 

[supersonic]

Interwebz hype!

 

[IndyWS6]

Read over on TGP that the word directly from Bogner phone support was that the actual release is not near as soon as was stated at the LA amp show. The guy who posted that response said the guy on the phone at bogner even told him not to hold his breath

If true, that blows... The Helios is one of a very few amps that I actually have GAS for.

 

[aulo]

Read over on TGP that the word directly from Bogner phone support was that the actual release is not near as soon as was stated at the LA amp show. The guy who posted that response said the guy on the phone at bogner even told him not to hold his breath

If true, that blows... The Helios is one of a very few amps that I actually have GAS for.

Same here. But on the bright side, it gives me extra time to save up for it.

 

[glip22]

This amp being released at Namm was meant to hype the Bogner name to increase interest and sales. I think it was a genius marketing move in a design that was probably fairly easy for them to do. If it was a PCB amp like the Ecstacy or Uber it would have taken a tremendous amount more of R&R. I posted this once from the beginning. Good move by Bogner. The amp is probably pushed back even further now because of the increased interest and sales for the rest of the Bogner line. Just my speculation. Makes sense to me. I don't think it had anything to do with other builder's putting out modded Marshals. In this respect nothing happened with the Helios. It did it's job perfectly as intended. It will be out eventually.Maybe by 2015

 

[Bob Savage]

it would have taken a tremendous amount more of R&R. I

Rest and relaxation?

 

[glip22]

it would have taken a tremendous amount more of R&R. I

Rest and relaxation?

Bob

 

[Bob Savage]

Bob

Come at me bro!

 

[Shiny_Surface]

Guess the early adopters will have to wait.

 

[cardinal]

This amp being released at Namm was meant to hype the Bogner name to increase interest and sales. I think it was a genius marketing move in a design that was probably fairly easy for them to do. If it was a PCB amp like the Ecstacy or Uber it would have taken a tremendous amount more of R&R. I posted this once from the beginning. Good move by Bogner. The amp is probably pushed back even further now because of the increased interest and sales for the rest of the Bogner line. Just my speculation. Makes sense to me. I don't think it had anything to do with other builder's putting out modded Marshals. In this respect nothing happened with the Helios. It did it's job perfectly as intended. It will be out eventually.Maybe by 2015

Time will tell, but I tend to disagree with this. Slow product launches let the hype die down and shake my confidence in a builder. If it's announced and I want it, I want it now. I'm fickle with my gear purchases and am easily distracted by new shiny things. I don't want a Helios, but if I did, I might be willing to buy one now (and not another Bogner, which all have existed for a long time and if I wanted one I'd already have bought it long time ago) but who knows what I'll be thinking or wanting in 12 months.

 

[moronmountain]

Bogner is starting to have too many amps IMO. I thought the Helios sounded fine, but there are buttwads of rodded Marshall clones out there already. Do we really need another one when so many have really nailed the design?

 

[Ventura]

Bob

Come at me bro!

Dewd.

Guess the early adopters will have to wait.

No choice really.

This amp being released at Namm was meant to hype the Bogner name to increase interest and sales. I think it was a genius marketing move in a design that was probably fairly easy for them to do. If it was a PCB amp like the Ecstacy or Uber it would have taken a tremendous amount more of R&R. I posted this once from the beginning. Good move by Bogner. The amp is probably pushed back even further now because of the increased interest and sales for the rest of the Bogner line. Just my speculation. Makes sense to me. I don't think it had anything to do with other builder's putting out modded Marshals. In this respect nothing happened with the Helios. It did it's job perfectly as intended. It will be out eventually.Maybe by 2015

Time will tell, but I tend to disagree with this. Slow product launches let the hype die down and shake my confidence in a builder. If it's announced and I want it, I want it now. I'm fickle with my gear purchases and am easily distracted by new shiny things. I don't want a Helios, but if I did, I might be willing to buy one now (and not another Bogner, which all have existed for a long time and if I wanted one I'd already have bought it long time ago) but who knows what I'll be thinking or wanting in 12 months.

I think it'll come at the right time. When there was speculation that the amp was 10 weeks out, this was pegging the release date for "just around mid December". Interestingly enough, that's not far off from the more recent updates which are saying start of new year for first shipments, etc. Either way, I just hope they stick with their initial concept and do it right - hand wired turret board, top drawer components, and high quality builds.

Bogner is starting to have too many amps IMO. I thought the Helios sounded fine, but there are buttwads of rodded Marshall clones out there already. Do we really need another one when so many have really nailed the design?

They're marketed to different segments of the world. Bogner HQ spent a good couple years (right after the 2009 release of the 20th Anniversary line) promoting and appealing to the Japanese and European market. That's a huge segment right there (Japan) that's not often talked about here - but it's massive. More Herberts (Diezel) purchased there than any other Diezel amp worldwide, just saying, and Reinhold went in with these fantastic heads that had the right appeal, panache and direction for other market areas.

Couple of things - I don't care how long it takes Bogner to make the amp, just make it perfect the first time. I'd rather this than have iteration 1 come out followed by revision this and revision that. Just get it done right the first time. Do your QC on the head - don't release it until it's proven itself. So whatever for me, I'd prefer to see "a perfect Helios" rather than something done hastily.

But through it all, the hype was awesome - is awesome - and I am so jazzed about one of these babies it's something I think about regularly. In a world of Marshall wannabes and mods and sound-alikes, one could argue it's a market beaten-to-death with numbers already. But in the case of Bogner, they're one of the originals, and I'm welcoming their stepping up to the plate to give us their "real deal" amp

Edited a couple of times due to not having my coffee before typing.

 

[cardinal]

This amp being released at Namm was meant to hype the Bogner name to increase interest and sales. I think it was a genius marketing move in a design that was probably fairly easy for them to do. If it was a PCB amp like the Ecstacy or Uber it would have taken a tremendous amount more of R&R. I posted this once from the beginning. Good move by Bogner. The amp is probably pushed back even further now because of the increased interest and sales for the rest of the Bogner line. Just my speculation. Makes sense to me. I don't think it had anything to do with other builder's putting out modded Marshals. In this respect nothing happened with the Helios. It did it's job perfectly as intended. It will be out eventually.Maybe by 2015

Time will tell, but I tend to disagree with this. Slow product launches let the hype die down and shake my confidence in a builder. If it's announced and I want it, I want it now. I'm fickle with my gear purchases and am easily distracted by new shiny things. I don't want a Helios, but if I did, I might be willing to buy one now (and not another Bogner, which all have existed for a long time and if I wanted one I'd already have bought it long time ago) but who knows what I'll be thinking or wanting in 12 months.

I think it'll come at the right time. When there was speculation that the amp was 10 weeks out, this was pegging the release date for "just around mid December". Interestingly enough, that's not far off from the more recent updates which are saying start of new year for first shipments, etc. Either way, I just hope they stick with their initial concept and do it right - hand wired turret board, not drawer components, and high quality builds.

I agree that it should be done according to the concept that they announced: turret board, etc. It's a Bogner so I definitely expect high quality. Their stuff is amazing. No doubt about it. I don't know how their boxes made of plywood sound so much better than everyone else's boxes of the same plywood, but they really do.

But my issue is that it reeks of vaporware when an announcement is made and then no product appears. I allot myself only a limited budget for gear and do my best to stick to it. Bogner already has demonstrated some issues (where the heck is that Atma?). Fryette has the same problem (announcing cool products that never appear). Fact is, once I see this: I'm not reserving any space in my gear budget for their products no matter how cool they look. Who knows when they'll come out, and when they finally do, I might not think they're so cool anymore just because now I'm in to something else (like right now, I'm in love with a Triple Rectifier. I never would have guessed that would happen).

So I think these companies are driving away real customers by doing this. Make an product announcement, then have it available for sale. If it's not ready for sale yet, don't announce it. Simple.

Another problem is that, potentially, there are folks that were ready to throw down on an XTC or whatever, but now they want a Helios so haven't bought anything. Again: if the Helios doesn't come out soon: they may buy something else for whatever reason (or they may have bought the XTC in the absence of the early Helios announcement and then also bought a Helios later once they were announced at the proper time).

Anyway I look at this, it's bad business. But, again: I think Bogner makes incredible stuff, don't get me wrong. And the company's been around for a long time and they're not taking non-refundabe deposits on the amps, etc. So I don't think Bogner's doing anything bizarre, I just think it was a bad business decision to make the announcement and then not have it ready for months and months.

EDIT: whoa this post is long and mostly nonsense. Carry on.

 

[glip22]

This amp being released at Namm was meant to hype the Bogner name to increase interest and sales. I think it was a genius marketing move in a design that was probably fairly easy for them to do. If it was a PCB amp like the Ecstacy or Uber it would have taken a tremendous amount more of R&R. I posted this once from the beginning. Good move by Bogner. The amp is probably pushed back even further now because of the increased interest and sales for the rest of the Bogner line. Just my speculation. Makes sense to me. I don't think it had anything to do with other builder's putting out modded Marshals. In this respect nothing happened with the Helios. It did it's job perfectly as intended. It will be out eventually.Maybe by 2015

Time will tell, but I tend to disagree with this. Slow product launches let the hype die down and shake my confidence in a builder. If it's announced and I want it, I want it now. I'm fickle with my gear purchases and am easily distracted by new shiny things. I don't want a Helios, but if I did, I might be willing to buy one now (and not another Bogner, which all have existed for a long time and if I wanted one I'd already have bought it long time ago) but who knows what I'll be thinking or wanting in 12 months.

I think it'll come at the right time. When there was speculation that the amp was 10 weeks out, this was pegging the release date for "just around mid December". Interestingly enough, that's not far off from the more recent updates which are saying start of new year for first shipments, etc. Either way, I just hope they stick with their initial concept and do it right - hand wired turret board, not drawer components, and high quality builds.

I agree that it should be done according to the concept that they announced: turret board, etc. It's a Bogner so I definitely expect high quality. Their stuff is amazing. No doubt about it. I don't know how their boxes made of plywood sound so much better than everyone else's boxes of the same plywood, but they really do.

But my issue is that it reeks of vaporware when an announcement is made and then no product appears. I allot myself only a limited budget for gear and do my best to stick to it. Bogner already has demonstrated some issues (where the heck is that Atma?). Fryette has the same problem (announcing cool products that never appear). Fact is, once I see this: I'm not reserving any space in my gear budget for their products no matter how cool they look. Who knows when they'll come out, and when they finally do, I might not think they're so cool anymore just because now I'm in to something else (like right now, I'm in love with a Triple Rectifier. I never would have guessed that would happen).

So I think these companies are driving away real customers by doing this. Make an product announcement, then have it available for sale. If it's not ready for sale yet, don't announce it. Simple.

Another problem is that, potentially, there are folks that were ready to throw down on an XTC or whatever, but now they want a Helios so haven't bought anything. Again: if the Helios doesn't come out soon: they may buy something else for whatever reason (or they may have bought the XTC in the absence of the early Helios announcement and then also bought a Helios later once they were announced at the proper time).

Anyway I look at this, it's bad business. But, again: I think Bogner makes incredible stuff, don't get me wrong. And the company's been around for a long time and they're not taking non-refundabe deposits on the amps, etc. So I don't think Bogner's doing anything bizarre, I just think it was a bad business decision to make the announcement and then not have it ready for months and months.

EDIT: whoa this post is long and mostly nonsense. Carry on.

Maybe a bad business choice but an excellent marketing decision.

 

[Bob Savage]

But my issue is that it reeks of vaporware when an announcement is made and then no product appears.

There could be something I'm not aware of, but I don't know of Bogner ever having presented a product at a show of any kind that didn't make it to market. Bogner is a professional outfit who delivers.

 

[ejecta]

But my issue is that it reeks of vaporware when an announcement is made and then no product appears.

There could be something I'm not aware of, but I don't know of Bogner ever having presented a product at a show of any kind that didn't make it to market. Bogner is a professional outfit who delivers.

This.

 

[moronmountain]

Bogner is starting to have too many amps IMO. I thought the Helios sounded fine, but there are buttwads of rodded Marshall clones out there already. Do we really need another one when so many have really nailed the design?

They're marketed to different segments of the world. Bogner HQ spent a good couple years (right after the 2009 release of the 20th Anniversary line) promoting and appealing to the Japanese and European market. That's a huge segment right there (Japan) that's not often talked about here - but it's massive. More Herberts (Diezel) purchased there than any other Diezel amp worldwide, just saying, and Reinhold went in with these fantastic heads that had the right appeal, panache and direction for other market areas.


Edited a couple of times due to not having my coffee before typing.

I understand what he's doing, but their turn around isn't that good these days though eh? At least that's what I'm hearing, and I would imagine constant R&D work could affect this. As far as the "get it right the first time, so there won't be any revisions," I personally think most of the revisions are done because of customer feedback, not because it didn't turn out the way RB wanted it to. I almost wish they would've left the Uberschall alone, but still came out with the TJ. I have almost no desire to ever get a Rev. blue Uber as I don't think it is what was originally intended. Heck I didn't even mind the gain knob going to 11 at just barely open. Then the effects loop level knob was put on cuz peeps were putting pedals in the loop, but leaving the channel volume up too high, and overloading them. At any rate.......... I still love Bogners, but I don't think I would look to them for a HRM. I would prolly get a Henning from our fellow member hear on RT, or a Roccaforte. Both of those amps do the Marshallesque but more thing really well, and they are works of art on the inside.