Bogner 101b vs SLO100

  • Thread starter Thread starter Killcrop
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japetus said:
I would like to compare the 2 for sure. It sounds pretty raw for sure.
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A direct comparison of the 2 would be interesting for sure. I find the XTC’s a bit smooth & polite/not raw for my taste, even the ‘90’s 101B’s I’ve tried (haven’t tried a 100B or A though). I liked those early ones more, but still preferred other amps for that kinda vibe
 
DanTravis62 said:
The blue pedal is a really great dirt pedal IMO

I used to rock one with my 68 bandmaster

The red and the Uber pedals, not so much

A vintage bassman circuit, to me, is the holy grail as far as clean pedal platforms for dirt pedals.

Especially cranked up a bit - with my LPD 68 and a normal od like an 808 or SD1 it absolutely screamed

Once the bassman starts getting broken up it starts "glueing" the pedal drive together, it's a really cool thing
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Yeah the bassman seems to make a great pedal platform. For just a lush, 3D, beautiful clean my ‘64 Vibroverb I feel is king hands down, but I don’t like it as much as a pedal platform and I don’t like the way it overdrives when turned up vs other fenders like the bassman. It’s reverb though is also imo something special vs the reverb on other fenders, but I still actually prefer using my ‘70’s Furman RV-1
 
I owned an original SLO with no mods. Had my tech install the depth mod because it didn't have enough low end. I found that amp to be on the darker side with a super smooth top end. Great lead amp but I kept my 5150 in favor of it because it was WAY more aggressive and the cleans on the SLO weren't really any better than it. Don't really remember its mid-gain sounds, but I keep hearing people lately compare them to Marshalls and I don't remember it sounding anywhere close to a Marshall 🤷‍♂️

Interestingly, the new BAD SLOs sound totally different to me. They are brighter and a lot more aggressive. Supposedly they are the same circuit, but I'm not so sure, they definitely sound significantly more modern in the clips I've heard? The Synergy SLO module I have sounds exactly like what I hear from the BAD amps, but I find its sounds just kind of boring. Nothing really exciting about it - a good sound but nothing more than several other amps out there.

The first 101b I had was a 2007 or 2008. I thought it was one of the brightest amps I've ever heard in my life. I couldn't dial out the sizzle, especially on the Red channel, it was just too much. The cleans were also similarly bright, but I was kinda into it at the time. I remember them being harsh and brittle with the wrong guitar, though.

Now I own a 2003 101b. It's a pretty dark amp, almost polar opposite of what I remember it being, and I have to put the treble and presence a lot higher up on it, but good God does it just feels good when playing it. I've heard people talk about the FEEL of an amp for years and I understood it to an extent, but this amp just responds exactly how I want it to when I play a note. The cleans are gorgeous, though not as good as the Synergy IICP module I had, and the Red channel actually gets brutal AF. In fact, the channel I don't really like much is the Blue, which is the one everyone seems to praise. Definitely gotta spend more time there.
 
I have an OG SLO and a 100B. I find them different enough to have both. Viola/cello is how I think of them. Don't think I like one more than the other. They each have their own uses. Both have a pretty wide range of tones from clean to lead.
 
my 98 101B stomps all over a SLO boosted or not. I’ve even played a boosted purple racked SLO and still feel my 90’s Bogner XTC sounds more aggressive and is more fun to play. I boost the blue channel with an SD-1 and the amp turns into a complete jackal and Hyde - the blue channel gets more aggressive and gain than the red channel which is loose and undefined. The clean channel is great.

I’ll personally never get rid of the XTC. I’ve posted clips here that other owners have had and this one’s way more ballsy and over the top than later models. It’s so nuts I don’t really even desire the new models that are out because mine does all that I need and more.
 
I find the SLO Crunch channel and the XTC blue Plexi mode both need to be fkn loud to sound best though. Like a proper Plexi does anyway I guess. There is only so long I can stand in the room with that volume before I fuck my ears for days.
 
Killcrop said:
I greatly prefer the metal grill. Did you get it direct from Bogner?
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Yep! Took a while to get a reply, but I eventually ordered direct from them. Kinda funny, cause I asked a Bogner dealer if they could order me one and they said they only sell the grill with the amp.
 
I've owned a '91 and a 2011 SLO. Both had the depth mod which I hardly ever used. I haven't ever played the new BAD ones. The 2 I owned sounded the same.

As far as XTCs... I've owned about 5 or 6 101b heads through the years, and I had the Classic as well.

The 101b has a plexi power section, so I has an old school feel to it. Big, thick, syrupy vibe is always happening on the Blue channel. I've had the pre-2004 red channel, the Cameron mod Red and the post 2004 Red. They were all different. I liked them all. The Classic has the JCM type power section, and it's not as compressed.

The SLO is a completely different amp. It's brighter, faster and clearer. I like the low end feel of it. The highs ring out clear as a bell through V30s.

Both amps are great at what they do. If you want something bright, the SLO is one of the best. If you want an old school, low-mid/mid heavy amp that feels like a Plexi, the 101b is a great choice.
 
braintheory said:
A direct comparison of the 2 would be interesting for sure. I find the XTC’s a bit smooth & polite/not raw for my taste, even the ‘90’s 101B’s I’ve tried (haven’t tried a 100B or A though). I liked those early ones more, but still preferred other amps for that kinda vibe
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I agree with this 100% I've had at least 6 or 7 XTC's including a 20th & #13 and the two 97s I had were the best. For my taste the Slo wins hands down, it's my favorite amp in the world. It just has the sound that I love!
 
I have never owned a slo.
However when I bought my Ecstacy 101b in 97 or 98 ?
I can't remember?
I tried every amp I could, the slo being 1 of them .
It just felt stiff and did not have much feel to it ?
In fairness I never cranked the slo ?
But the first time I played the 101b I fell in love !
You hit an a, g or c and let it ring out it just sings !
It sounds great at any volume just gets better the louder you get.
It has such a great feel.
That was my first high end amp
I had a Uberschall blue and sold it to buy a Helios in 2015.
The Helios is my favorite amp by far.
It is so raw and has insane sustain and attack.
The Ecstacy is more versatile and has more gain, just doesn't have the raw grittiness!
 
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