101B vs 20th Anniversary XTC

[Wizard of Ozz]

The 101b sounded much better to me than the 20th with EL34's. The gain sounded different in the 20th. I preferred the 101b

I agree. But I play 90% metal. I think most of the peeps preferring the 20th Annie are more classic rock fans.

 

[Ventura]

It's all in the hands and ears of the beholder... I had choices between the Classic, 101B and the 20th 6L6 and EL34. I went with the EL34 20thA and couldn't be happier - it throws down heavies without a doubt. But if it's raging chainsaw metal, then I'll default to my TJ, former Rev.2 or my recently acquired JJ. The 20th Shiva also rips into metal quite nicely. But for nuclear metal, the TJ is my weapon of choice.

101B versus 20thA is a debate that falls into 2 categories - price and options - to me those are the only differences.

 

[jamme61]

Best blue channel is the 101b - clean channel is a toss up ( 101b has fatter clean channel) plexi mode is better and more versatile on the 20th and red channel is better on the 20th - my 2 cents IMHO

 

[Rdodson]

20th 6L6 is the most glorious clean I have ever played, and it really isn't very close. Just killer.

 

[Ventura]

20th 6L6 is the most glorious clean I have ever played, and it really isn't very close. Just killer.

Yep, the 6L6 version is definitely the winner in the cleans department, as well as - maybe I'll go so far as to say - both cleans to scooped means. But for me, the EL34 version gives me that big, fat, juicy, chunky mid-section that I love for chew-factor

Either way, both top of their class amps. Period.

 

[Little B]

Ventura has some really great points! I own a 6l6 20th xtc and a 20th shiva.Love em both. For live gigging,I am lucky and fortunate enough to have them both turned up to decent vol.Tone,Tone,Tone.Would like to try the 34 version 20thxtc,but Im totally happy with mine. Play as many as you can. Im sure youll settle on one.

 

[Jdub]

I had a 20th EL34 XTC last year for a while and currently have a 101b (traded a 20th Shiva for it and will be trading back this week).
My band does mostly 80s rock stuff so a hot rodded Marshall tone is what I am usually after, but I have always been a fan of Cantrell's tone and got into Bogner more or less looking for that kind of signature grind. I wish I was able to A/B the 20th XTC I had with the 101b, but here are my thoughts from what I can recall.
-The Excursion settings seem pretty different. On the 101b I can set it to Tight and push the Bass a bit more and its big and full, but a little more compressed and as the name implies...tighter. On the 20th I always felt like when I went to the Tight setting the amp went too thin overall. I had to use M or L on that amp.
-The Blue on the 101b seems to have a little more gain. It is a bit smoother overall and more compressed so it could just be some of those subtle differences making it seem like it has more gain. The 20th was more open and a little more Marshallish in a way. Sometimes I liked that, but I wanted more gain and at the end of the day it didn't seem to be the same coveted Blue channel everyone loves on the 101b.
-The Red on my 101b has been modified to the Cameron specs. It can be set to sound big and dark and smooth, or brighter and more edgy. That is where I would play metal, but its not instant metal inspiring tone. Plenty of gain here though. In fact with it on R1 and M or L on the Excursion and it goes microphonic gain bananas pretty quickly.
-Green, well I don't play cleans a whole lot. I don't know that the EL34 version of the 20th really does those changes any justice. I think the clean on the 101b sounds pretty damn good. If I recall correctly I tended to use the boost on the 20th to get the clean sounding nice and big and full while doing the peg the volume and use the Gain for overall volume trick. On the 101b the boost on the clean doesn't sound good to me. Maybe for single coils, but with hot humbuckers its too ratty of a breakup.
-The 20th did sound boxy and congested a few times when I wasn't able to open it up. On the other hand, one outdoor show I did last summer on a nice big stage, I had that thing cranking and it was a ton of fun. Sounded great and was really easy to connect with the feel.

I am not a metal player...the most metal I get is some Metallica and the occasional Slayer lick. I am more hard rock, but like aggressive tones and tighter amps most of the time.
I traded my 20th XTC last year for a Helios. I liked the amp, but didn't feel like it was a great fit in the band along side the Splawn Quickrod my other guitar player uses. I was happier using it with the other band I was in at the time where I was doing a ton of different kind of music and was the only guitar.
I pounced on the 20th Shiva recently because while I love the Helios it is a one trick pony in a live situation. Great hot rod Plexi and covers me most of the night, but left me wanting when I needed a heavier tone. I think the Shiva is meaner sounding than the XTC, but they have a different voicing and feel for sure.
I feel like I am all over the place in this post. Sorry if I made it more confusing. I shoulda just said amps are cool, Bogners rule.

Good luck...look forward to hearing your take on whatever you get in the future here.

I think you post made great sense to me and my experience is about identical to yours.