I did what you did in 2014. Got a used Shiva in March, bought a new XTC in September. Played them both in half stack just like that, live in auditorium from 2015-2018 at church, weekly, hauling everything but the Marshall cab (which they let me keep there). Cranked both into the sweet spot facing left off stage, had one ear with in ears and the other facing the amp. Sound guy worked with me rather than against me and those amps made heavenly tones that no modeling amp or pedal ever could. The harmonics and compression and other artifacts that come from power tubes being in the zone, as well as just the air being pushed from the cabs sends chills down your spine and makes you sound better and play better. I always got the most compliments when playing with a tube amp that was in the zone. People can hear the difference. I will never part with these amps.
Man that's awesome! I've played some large churches, but never anything big enough to get away with a half stack. That's killer, and clearly you have great taste in amps. :) For a couple years I did use my Naylor at church and put the head right by my pedal board and ran a *long* speaker cable to an isolated room w/ the cab. That actually worked really well. ....but silent stages still suck IMO. Anyway, that's cool; thanks for sharing
I just bought one today. I can’t wait to get on this thing. But you are correct, there is no substitute for moving air in front of you. These amps will be collectors items in the next 10-20 years. They were once ubiquitous on the stage, small or large. You could buy one just for an investment- but play the crap out of in the meantime. Nice video!
They are totally worth it if you have the budget. I used to have small amps and a few months ago bought a 50w hot rod marshall and recently a Bognet XTC. As you said, the experience is amazing and the big power amp gives a resonance that small amps and modeller just miss. I do use mine with a quality attenuator to reduce loudness a few DB. The amp is much better than the 35 watt Bogner XTC that I had, it sound bigger even at the same volume.
Yup. I think I've played on this amp almost every day for the past year. I'm still loving it and you nailed it. There's something here that the small amps don't do. It's super fun for me.
There's something special about how a rig like that pushes air. You can just feel it in your bones. Brings out the caveman dna in me. I wish I could afford a house right now to play my old amps. I'm working on my 3rd strike noise complaint in my apartment right now. 🤣🤣🤣
Yep, I totally get that. While the XTC is an amazing low volume amp, it's probably not worth the $$ for apartment volumes. I was actually just at a buddy's place and his rig sounded amazing. He was using an Axefx 2 through a Mesa 20/20 and two of their small 1x12 cabs. I really enjoyed it. .... but part of his trick was living on the ground level. You can get away with more air there. Cheers
Great video! I play my 100 watt amps at home exclusively . Nothing wrong with a 100 watt amp at lower volumes as long as it’s got a great master, like the Ecstasy. I’m on my fifth or sixth Ecstasy. I’ve owned the Classic, the 20th Anniversary, and a few 101b’s. I’ve never had a 100b or a Pandora, but I suspect the differences between all the Ecstasy models are a bit overstated. The ones I’ve had sounded different, but with the same underlying sonic DNA. Great amps!
@@BenBreard I like the regular 101b’s best. I currently have an early one with Mercury Magnetic transformers, but all 101b’s are top shelf. The red channel changed in, I think, ‘04 to have more gain and compression. Prefer pre-‘04 Ecstasy’s, but they’re not worlds apart. The 20th I had was 6L6 powered (101A) and had my favorite green and red channels I’ve heard in an Ecstasy, but to me the blue channel was lacking (mostly in gain…I had to always boost it) and the blue channel IS the main reason to buy an Ecstasy, so that was a little disappointing. I’d love to try a EL34-based 20th (101b) to compare.
Agreed! I think you can't go wrong with any of them. The 101B is probably the most famous. I'm not sure it's better but I had a slight preference for that one since it's the most popular.
My first Bogner was a Shiva 20th Combo which I got in a trade for an Alessandro HW Deluxe and a Tweed Deluxe. At the time was trying hard to downsize after years of using a 4x12. The Shiva headed me back in the other direction. Converted it to a combo, got a 2x12 Bogner OS. Then got a 4x12 and then sold that and got a 101B. It’s been my main gigging amp, although I did recently trade the 4x12 for a Deluxe. The 4x12 came out once a year for an outdoor gig and wasn’t being used. Other that weight/size the 101B sounds great at low volume. I have a stable of other 1x12’s mainly for grab and go scenarios when weight or maneuvering my Bogner isn’t feasible. Great amp!
Yeah I totally agree these aren't very practical for gigging. I was thinking of selling my Shiva and thought maybe I should take it to a tech first just in case something isn't right with the amp. After new power tubes and two new preamp tubes it's crazy how much better it sounds. I still prefer how smooth the XTC is, but there's also something really fun about how raw the Shiva is. I'm jealous about your deluxe. That's probably the next one on my list.
One of the finest amps ever created. I remember first trying one at West L.A. Music back in 1990 when they were fresh on the market. It was pricy, roughly the same as a Soldano SLO. It had incredible gain, but more than that was the tone and versatility. There were a lot of monster high gain amps showing up on the market back then. I tried all of them. The Bogner Ecstasy and Soldano SLO were the most impressive. I also tried a Dumble, but that's another story and I don't want to waste the oxygen on it. Totally different sort of amp. My main amp in the 80s and 90s was a Boogie 50 Cal combo. I stopped lugging my Marshall stack around and the Boogie did the job. Even on 2 it was more than loud enough, and the soundmen appreciated that I wasn't lugging in a wall of Marshalls or Laneys like so many other dudes in the L.A. shred scene. Soundmen HATE dealing with big amps in small clubs. I still know a lot of musicians here in L.A. and they tell me the trend has been towards smaller amps and modeling systems for a couple decades at this point.
You know, it's a crime that I've never plugged into an SLO before. That's a bucket list item for me as I love the sound of Mike's amps. One day I'll get there. :) yeah small amps have been the trend for two decades. I get it. .... still makes me sad sometimes.
@@BenBreard Although I think you'll probably dig the SLO, after playing a Bogner it's not going to be as breathtaking an experience as it was for me back in 1986. At that time, no one had ever heard of Bogner as he was still living in Germany. Reinhold didn't come to the states till about '89, but when he did he made a huge splash in L.A. He started modding amps for big names pretty quick and I think he put out the Ecstasy pedal before the actual amp came out. The man's an amp genius. This was the great thing about coming of age as a guitarist in L.A in the 80s. I was able to try all of these world class amps before the rest of the world was schooled on them. Riveras are also great, and the VHT/Fryette Pitbull, Demeter preamp, so many amp treasures. Lee Jackson's Metaltronix shop was right across the street from The Country Club in Reseda, where bands like Racer X played often. They played Lee's modded JCMs and also his own line of amps right before Zakk Wylde began playing them. Lee made some very mean sounding mods. The finest sounding modded Marshall I've ever heard to this day belonged to a friend, an old plexi modded by an amp guru named Jerry Blaha. I almost had Jerry mod my JMP but decided not to take the risk, not simply because it would void the warranty, but because it would turn it into a one channel amp with no clean channel. It was already a one channel amp, but it had a clean tone. I just had to bypass a dirt pedal and roll back my guitar's volume. I would have lost that if Jerry modded the amp. I ended up buying a Boogie 50 Cal combo which served me very well for six years before I sold it because by then I was a starving college student. I still miss that amp.
Yes! I got a drum set a few years ago just to learn the Purdy shuffle. I totally suck at drums but playing Home At Last & Babylon Sisters is this amazing shot of musical morphine that I'll never get tired of. :)
@@BenBreard That’s awesome! Yeah, as a band they’re just transcendent. Wife & I used to joke that anybody good enough to be in a Steely Dan tribute band was already in Steely Dan, lol!
Even the bands that play big enough venues for those things have mostly gone digital, even the ones that can easily afford to freight a big tube rig.....like Metallica. That said, with products out there like the Fryette PS you can still have a 100w monster and get that tone at whisper volumes without tone loss.
Yeah, no argument here that digital modelers are awesome. ....but why commit to one path when you can have both!!. :) I think the PowerStation is perfect for amps that need to be cranked to sound right; they are awesome. I haven't got one yet as most of my amps sound really good at bedroom levels. The XTC is freakishly good at this.
Heh, I checked the Les Paul box finally, but you're making me realize that I've never plugged into a full stack before. That's now a bucket list thing for me! Thanks.
@@BenBreard If you want that same AC/DC cranked amp with no pedals definitely look into a Reeves 1x12 combo. They make a 12 watt that you can get new for just over a grand. Hand wired and as clean as a HiWatt.
@@BenBreard Don't worry once you get one you'll end up dumping almost every other combo or head you have. I'm down to the combo and a few nice pedals. The DAM Meathead fuzz pedal sounds insane though it.
Thanks! This is an EL34 one from 2001, before they changed the gain on the red channel. I've had it for 6 months now and have played it almost every single day. :)
I do. I don't like amps less than a 100 watts. It's not about volume at all. Get over it. It's the feel, the muscle and the six of the tone. Smaller wattage amps can't match a 100w head in that regard.
@@BenBreard Good explanation! Thanks. But, in 35+ years of playing, I still prefer the feel and grunt of a 100 watt or more head. Some amps like the Bogner Ecstacy 50 watt, they found a way to give it very close to the feel of a 100 watt head. Good stuff.
I've owned two 101B amps. I am having some issues and they are getting too heavy for me, so I am getting another one and hi heart attack, but I don't care.
Sorry to hear about your issues, but at least bad tone won't be one of them! Were the ones you owned very different? I know they've tweaked the circuit over the years.
So true! Hence the name of the video. There are tons of killer videos available to hear an XTC. This is more about the value of having the real thing and this form factor than the amp itself. I agree with your comment. :) cheers
I did what you did in 2014. Got a used Shiva in March, bought a new XTC in September. Played them both in half stack just like that, live in auditorium from 2015-2018 at church, weekly, hauling everything but the Marshall cab (which they let me keep there). Cranked both into the sweet spot facing left off stage, had one ear with in ears and the other facing the amp. Sound guy worked with me rather than against me and those amps made heavenly tones that no modeling amp or pedal ever could. The harmonics and compression and other artifacts that come from power tubes being in the zone, as well as just the air being pushed from the cabs sends chills down your spine and makes you sound better and play better. I always got the most compliments when playing with a tube amp that was in the zone. People can hear the difference. I will never part with these amps.
Man that's awesome! I've played some large churches, but never anything big enough to get away with a half stack. That's killer, and clearly you have great taste in amps. :) For a couple years I did use my Naylor at church and put the head right by my pedal board and ran a *long* speaker cable to an isolated room w/ the cab. That actually worked really well. ....but silent stages still suck IMO. Anyway, that's cool; thanks for sharing
I just bought one today. I can’t wait to get on this thing. But you are correct, there is no substitute for moving air in front of you. These amps will be collectors items in the next 10-20 years. They were once ubiquitous on the stage, small or large. You could buy one just for an investment- but play the crap out of in the meantime. Nice video!
Congrats!! I've played mine almost everyday since I got it (over a year). It's sooooooo good, you're going to love it.
They are totally worth it if you have the budget. I used to have small amps and a few months ago bought a 50w hot rod marshall and recently a Bognet XTC. As you said, the experience is amazing and the big power amp gives a resonance that small amps and modeller just miss. I do use mine with a quality attenuator to reduce loudness a few DB. The amp is much better than the 35 watt Bogner XTC that I had, it sound bigger even at the same volume.
Yup. I think I've played on this amp almost every day for the past year. I'm still loving it and you nailed it. There's something here that the small amps don't do. It's super fun for me.
nothing sounds better than 4 large power tubes, thats why.
Truth!! .....and big iron transformers too!
There's something special about how a rig like that pushes air. You can just feel it in your bones. Brings out the caveman dna in me. I wish I could afford a house right now to play my old amps. I'm working on my 3rd strike noise complaint in my apartment right now. 🤣🤣🤣
Yep, I totally get that. While the XTC is an amazing low volume amp, it's probably not worth the $$ for apartment volumes. I was actually just at a buddy's place and his rig sounded amazing. He was using an Axefx 2 through a Mesa 20/20 and two of their small 1x12 cabs. I really enjoyed it. .... but part of his trick was living on the ground level. You can get away with more air there. Cheers
Great video! I play my 100 watt amps at home exclusively . Nothing wrong with a 100 watt amp at lower volumes as long as it’s got a great master, like the Ecstasy. I’m on my fifth or sixth Ecstasy. I’ve owned the Classic, the 20th Anniversary, and a few 101b’s. I’ve never had a 100b or a Pandora, but I suspect the differences between all the Ecstasy models are a bit overstated. The ones I’ve had sounded different, but with the same underlying sonic DNA. Great amps!
Yeah, the half stack is kinda like being completely surrounded by water...... except with TONE! Of the XTCs you had, did you have a favorite?
@@BenBreard I like the regular 101b’s best. I currently have an early one with Mercury Magnetic transformers, but all 101b’s are top shelf. The red channel changed in, I think, ‘04 to have more gain and compression. Prefer pre-‘04 Ecstasy’s, but they’re not worlds apart. The 20th I had was 6L6 powered (101A) and had my favorite green and red channels I’ve heard in an Ecstasy, but to me the blue channel was lacking (mostly in gain…I had to always boost it) and the blue channel IS the main reason to buy an Ecstasy, so that was a little disappointing. I’d love to try a EL34-based 20th (101b) to compare.
I wanted one of these since high school as well. There's so many versions of the thing now though. It's confusing.
Agreed! I think you can't go wrong with any of them. The 101B is probably the most famous. I'm not sure it's better but I had a slight preference for that one since it's the most popular.
My first Bogner was a Shiva 20th Combo which I got in a trade for an Alessandro HW Deluxe and a Tweed Deluxe. At the time was trying hard to downsize after years of using a 4x12. The Shiva headed me back in the other direction. Converted it to a combo, got a 2x12 Bogner OS. Then got a 4x12 and then sold that and got a 101B. It’s been my main gigging amp, although I did recently trade the 4x12 for a Deluxe. The 4x12 came out once a year for an outdoor gig and wasn’t being used. Other that weight/size the 101B sounds great at low volume. I have a stable of other 1x12’s mainly for grab and go scenarios when weight or maneuvering my Bogner isn’t feasible. Great amp!
Yeah I totally agree these aren't very practical for gigging. I was thinking of selling my Shiva and thought maybe I should take it to a tech first just in case something isn't right with the amp. After new power tubes and two new preamp tubes it's crazy how much better it sounds. I still prefer how smooth the XTC is, but there's also something really fun about how raw the Shiva is. I'm jealous about your deluxe. That's probably the next one on my list.
One of the finest amps ever created. I remember first trying one at West L.A. Music back in 1990 when they were fresh on the market. It was pricy, roughly the same as a Soldano SLO. It had incredible gain, but more than that was the tone and versatility. There were a lot of monster high gain amps showing up on the market back then. I tried all of them. The Bogner Ecstasy and Soldano SLO were the most impressive. I also tried a Dumble, but that's another story and I don't want to waste the oxygen on it. Totally different sort of amp. My main amp in the 80s and 90s was a Boogie 50 Cal combo. I stopped lugging my Marshall stack around and the Boogie did the job. Even on 2 it was more than loud enough, and the soundmen appreciated that I wasn't lugging in a wall of Marshalls or Laneys like so many other dudes in the L.A. shred scene. Soundmen HATE dealing with big amps in small clubs. I still know a lot of musicians here in L.A. and they tell me the trend has been towards smaller amps and modeling systems for a couple decades at this point.
You know, it's a crime that I've never plugged into an SLO before. That's a bucket list item for me as I love the sound of Mike's amps. One day I'll get there. :) yeah small amps have been the trend for two decades. I get it. .... still makes me sad sometimes.
@@BenBreard Although I think you'll probably dig the SLO, after playing a Bogner it's not going to be as breathtaking an experience as it was for me back in 1986. At that time, no one had ever heard of Bogner as he was still living in Germany. Reinhold didn't come to the states till about '89, but when he did he made a huge splash in L.A. He started modding amps for big names pretty quick and I think he put out the Ecstasy pedal before the actual amp came out. The man's an amp genius. This was the great thing about coming of age as a guitarist in L.A in the 80s. I was able to try all of these world class amps before the rest of the world was schooled on them. Riveras are also great, and the VHT/Fryette Pitbull, Demeter preamp, so many amp treasures. Lee Jackson's Metaltronix shop was right across the street from The Country Club in Reseda, where bands like Racer X played often. They played Lee's modded JCMs and also his own line of amps right before Zakk Wylde began playing them. Lee made some very mean sounding mods. The finest sounding modded Marshall I've ever heard to this day belonged to a friend, an old plexi modded by an amp guru named Jerry Blaha. I almost had Jerry mod my JMP but decided not to take the risk, not simply because it would void the warranty, but because it would turn it into a one channel amp with no clean channel. It was already a one channel amp, but it had a clean tone. I just had to bypass a dirt pedal and roll back my guitar's volume. I would have lost that if Jerry modded the amp. I ended up buying a Boogie 50 Cal combo which served me very well for six years before I sold it because by then I was a starving college student. I still miss that amp.
The blue channel is magic. It totally has it’s own thing going on.
YES! That's pretty much where I live!
Because I HATE my AFU neighbors.
Good video, fine jamming,
THAT AMP. 😮
New sub.
I doubt I'm very popular with my neighbors. Actually my drumset may be the most offensive. ... it's crazy loud and I'm terrible. :)
I have a Bugera 6262 that I absolutely love. It's a fire breather.
Home At Last is one of my very favoritest Dan tunes! Noice!
Yes! I got a drum set a few years ago just to learn the Purdy shuffle. I totally suck at drums but playing Home At Last & Babylon Sisters is this amazing shot of musical morphine that I'll never get tired of. :)
@@BenBreard That’s awesome! Yeah, as a band they’re just transcendent. Wife & I used to joke that anybody good enough to be in a Steely Dan tribute band was already in Steely Dan, lol!
Even the bands that play big enough venues for those things have mostly gone digital, even the ones that can easily afford to freight a big tube rig.....like Metallica. That said, with products out there like the Fryette PS you can still have a 100w monster and get that tone at whisper volumes without tone loss.
Yeah, no argument here that digital modelers are awesome. ....but why commit to one path when you can have both!!. :) I think the PowerStation is perfect for amps that need to be cranked to sound right; they are awesome. I haven't got one yet as most of my amps sound really good at bedroom levels. The XTC is freakishly good at this.
If you live musical, art lover neighbourhood ...why not
Everyone needs three Marshall full stacks and a Les Paul Custom. Vote for me and I’ll put a Neve board in every garage.
Heh, I checked the Les Paul box finally, but you're making me realize that I've never plugged into a full stack before. That's now a bucket list thing for me! Thanks.
@@BenBreard If you want that same AC/DC cranked amp with no pedals definitely look into a Reeves 1x12 combo. They make a 12 watt that you can get new for just over a grand. Hand wired and as clean as a HiWatt.
@@snapcult464 that sounds killer. Right now I fear what my wife will do to me if I buy more gear. :)
@@BenBreard Don't worry once you get one you'll end up dumping almost every other combo or head you have. I'm down to the combo and a few nice pedals. The DAM Meathead fuzz pedal sounds insane though it.
@snapcult464 heh, I believe you, but I'm still taking my Naylor to the grave!! :)
Sounds great!! Is this the 6L6 version or the EL34 version?
Thanks! This is an EL34 one from 2001, before they changed the gain on the red channel. I've had it for 6 months now and have played it almost every single day. :)
I do. I don't like amps less than a 100 watts. It's not about volume at all. Get over it.
It's the feel, the muscle and the six of the tone. Smaller wattage amps can't match a 100w head in that regard.
For me, it's like being submerged in water, except replace water with tone. I wish I hadn't taken such a long break from big iron. :)
@@BenBreard Good explanation! Thanks. But, in 35+ years of playing, I still prefer the feel and grunt of a 100 watt or more head. Some amps like the Bogner Ecstacy 50 watt, they found a way to give it very close to the feel of a 100 watt head. Good stuff.
I've owned two 101B amps. I am having some issues and they are getting too heavy for me, so I am getting another one and hi heart attack, but I don't care.
Sorry to hear about your issues, but at least bad tone won't be one of them! Were the ones you owned very different? I know they've tweaked the circuit over the years.
Health issues, the amps were absolute monsters!!!!! @@BenBreard
He hardly plays the thing , just talks.
So true! Hence the name of the video. There are tons of killer videos available to hear an XTC. This is more about the value of having the real thing and this form factor than the amp itself. I agree with your comment. :) cheers