Bogner Ecstasy 101b PLEXI mode questions

Lkdog

New member
I picked up a 101B in a trade deal and am finding my way around the various controls.
It is a 2006 I believe and has the Class A option, and the Cameron mod.

My question is about the PLEXI mode. The Manual says it is like a 60's Plexi so it would be a non Master Volume amp- correct?
One cannot jumper the channels on the Bogner either so how does one get it really crunchy?

How do the Channel Vol and Gain levels on the Bogner interact then?
Should the Channel Vol be set pretty high and then use the Gain to get more crunch and growl?

Does the Bright switch and Presence impact it a lot?
What about B/M/T controls.

I have been messing around, but am kind of winging it.

Just looking for optimum settings I guess to get that moderately snarly crunchy vintage sound.
Here is a video I found that is pretty good of a 1967 Plexi compared to a reissue.



Thanks for any help. I am liking this amp a lot. I was thinking I may want to move it and just get a Marshall JVM410HJS again instead, but maybe not.
 
I never could get plexi into that kind of territory so I just rolled back the gain on the normal blue channel.
 
The plexi mode won't get really crunchy. You have to really crank it (like and old plexi) to get it to mildly overdrive. It's a great platform for drive pedals though.

Honestly though, the blue channel is so good, you won't ever use the plexi channel.
 
Considering most plexi's I've played have more aggression and perceivable gain than the blue channel I never understood what he was going for with the "plexi" setting. It just sounds like a heavily neutered gain channel. I thought, maybe I just need to crank the amp, didn't do much to improve it.
 
The name 'plexi mode' is both accurate and a misnomer. To run the amp like a (bright channel) plexi, you need to completely crank the master volume. Because the Ecstasy runs at higher plate voltages, you'll probably kill your tubes and blow your eardrums.

Running the channel master low basically turns this into a clean channel, and not what people expect from a 'plexi'.

If you must have a crack at experiencing the 'plexi', run it in old style (triode), which does take some edge off the overdrive, but will save your screens from popping. Oh yeah, Don't forget that the treble control in the amp is log, not linear. So to mimic a plexi bright channel at 12 O'clock, you need to run the treble at 3.
 
wow, what a great post! Thank you

michael_ibrahim":17rjgfzm said:
The name 'plexi mode' is both accurate and a misnomer. To run the amp like a (bright channel) plexi, you need to completely crank the master volume. Because the Ecstasy runs at higher plate voltages, you'll probably kill your tubes and blow your eardrums.

Running the channel master low basically turns this into a clean channel, and not what people expect from a 'plexi'.

If you must have a crack at experiencing the 'plexi', run it in old style (triode), which does take some edge off the overdrive, but will save your screens from popping. Oh yeah, Don't forget that the treble control in the amp is log, not linear. So to mimic a plexi bright channel at 12 O'clock, you need to run the treble at 3.
 
michael_ibrahim":14ptgjyw said:
Oh yeah, Don't forget that the treble control in the amp is log, not linear. So to mimic a plexi bright channel at 12 O'clock, you need to run the treble at 3.

Valuable info.

It's also one of the things that make me nuts about such a versatile amp. The TMB settings with the Blue/Plexi are often a compromise for the Red channel. I know I have wrote about this before but I wish the the Green channel was just the Blue Plexi mode so you could have the full gain Blue and Red channels with a similar Presence and TMB settings and the Plexi Channel would have the higher Mid, Treb and fully open Presence going on.

Of course this my not be the case with the 20th (6L6) model, but with my 101B it would be the perfect XTC. Maybe not the perfect amp, but the perfect XTC.
 
I concur.

Furthermore, be sure to check the sound with not only your ears, but how it comes across on mic.

Ears tend to like gain, mics not so much. They don't capture it well unless putting a screaming wasp's nest into a tin-foil purse is your idea of "good recorded tone", but alas, I digress.

The "plexi" switch does EXACTLY what it's supposed to do. In either Class A or, for a little more hair Class AB setting. But pure Class A, Vintage Voice, Plexi, Blue Channel - and LOTS of a volume - yes people, this is what a true old-school plexi sounded like. And if you don't believe me - mic it and play it back to yourself - then you'll hear it.

Peace
Mo

Rdodson":169deo3b said:
wow, what a great post! Thank you

michael_ibrahim":169deo3b said:
The name 'plexi mode' is both accurate and a misnomer. To run the amp like a (bright channel) plexi, you need to completely crank the master volume. Because the Ecstasy runs at higher plate voltages, you'll probably kill your tubes and blow your eardrums.

Running the channel master low basically turns this into a clean channel, and not what people expect from a 'plexi'.

If you must have a crack at experiencing the 'plexi', run it in old style (triode), which does take some edge off the overdrive, but will save your screens from popping. Oh yeah, Don't forget that the treble control in the amp is log, not linear. So to mimic a plexi bright channel at 12 O'clock, you need to run the treble at 3.
 
The plexi channel on the 20th gives you more dirt and when selected with the boost on on the red channel is simply tone bliss.
 
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