A better Ecstasy?

Killcrop

Killcrop

Active member
I have owned the Bogner Ecstasy on about 5 different occasions. I guess you could say I have a love hate relationship. I gigged the 101b for many years but mostly played it in plexi mode and used a few different pedals to boost. Tim and OCD. I loved the Blue channel and still do. But I don't usually play with that much gain. The red channel was always too mushy for me and noisy. The green was fine but a little too clean.

So who makes something similar to the Ecstasy but maybe fixes some of the issues I have with it? Basically a plexi style cleanish channel and something like the blue but maybe a little tighter. I have been down the road with the Friedman stuff and I can't say it's a great fit for me.

Anyway I have a feeling there is something I am over looking. Whatcha got?
 
Killcrop said:
I have owned the Bogner Ecstasy on about 5 different occasions. I guess you could say I have a love hate relationship. I gigged the 101b for many years but mostly played it in plexi mode and used a few different pedals to boost. Tim and OCD. I loved the Blue channel and still do. But I don't usually play with that much gain. The red channel was always too mushy for me and noisy. The green was fine but a little too clean.

So who makes something similar to the Ecstasy but maybe fixes some of the issues I have with it? Basically a plexi style cleanish channel and something like the blue but maybe a little tighter. I have been down the road with the Friedman stuff and I can't say it's a great fit for me.

Anyway I have a feeling there is something I am over looking. Whatcha got?
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have you tried the Friedman JEL 50? or any of the other wattage variations? i know you said you've been down the friedman road, but he has a lot of models so thought i'd ask

also the steve stevens model too
 
Killcrop said:
I have owned the Bogner Ecstasy on about 5 different occasions. I guess you could say I have a love hate relationship. I gigged the 101b for many years but mostly played it in plexi mode and used a few different pedals to boost. Tim and OCD. I loved the Blue channel and still do. But I don't usually play with that much gain. The red channel was always too mushy for me and noisy. The green was fine but a little too clean.

So who makes something similar to the Ecstasy but maybe fixes some of the issues I have with it? Basically a plexi style cleanish channel and something like the blue but maybe a little tighter. I have been down the road with the Friedman stuff and I can't say it's a great fit for me.

Anyway I have a feeling there is something I am over looking. Whatcha got?
Click to expand...
EVH 5150 III 50 Watt Standard Version?
 
Killcrop said:
I have owned the Bogner Ecstasy on about 5 different occasions. I guess you could say I have a love hate relationship. I gigged the 101b for many years but mostly played it in plexi mode and used a few different pedals to boost. Tim and OCD. I loved the Blue channel and still do. But I don't usually play with that much gain. The red channel was always too mushy for me and noisy. The green was fine but a little too clean.

So who makes something similar to the Ecstasy but maybe fixes some of the issues I have with it? Basically a plexi style cleanish channel and something like the blue but maybe a little tighter. I have been down the road with the Friedman stuff and I can't say it's a great fit for me.

Anyway I have a feeling there is something I am over looking. Whatcha got?
Click to expand...
The 50 watt 3534 is a killer amp. Not a Plexi clean, but blue & red are money. I'd take that over the rest of the suggestions.
 
@Killcrop Have you tried a Bogner Helios? It's got the Bogner thing but it's tighter than the XTC and there's more Marshall in there. The clean has come grit too if you use the hotter input. It also loves drives and boost pedals.

The EVH 50w amps (and 100w amps also) are also great for gigging but they're a little harder sounding than the Ecstasy. Not as much squish or bounce. But the EVH 50w Blue channel is killer in its own right.
 
Was going to say the Helios or if you are looking for less bogner influence, Headfirst Alta for plexi+modded 800 in one box
Reminds me I need to bump my for sale ad :scared:
 
Killcrop said:
I have owned the Bogner Ecstasy on about 5 different occasions. I guess you could say I have a love hate relationship. I gigged the 101b for many years but mostly played it in plexi mode and used a few different pedals to boost. Tim and OCD. I loved the Blue channel and still do. But I don't usually play with that much gain. The red channel was always too mushy for me and noisy. The green was fine but a little too clean.

So who makes something similar to the Ecstasy but maybe fixes some of the issues I have with it? Basically a plexi style cleanish channel and something like the blue but maybe a little tighter. I have been down the road with the Friedman stuff and I can't say it's a great fit for me.

Anyway I have a feeling there is something I am over looking. Whatcha got?
Click to expand...
Maybe a Mesa Stiletto Duece.or Badlander?
 
I own a Stiletto Deuce Stage 1 and also a 101b from around 2020/21.

The Deuce is a great amp if you take the time to dial it in - it’s pretty finicky, but great once you get there. I run mine with a Buxom Boost out front and an EQ in the loop. I also run it through Greenbacks - I can imagine V30s are just painful. The Bogner is much easier to dial in.

You’ve a lot of options with the Deuce - 2 channels with 3 modes per channel, plus the Bold/Spongey and rectification switches. That said, only the channels are footswicthable and because of how finicky it is to dial in, I dial in a sound on channel 2 and then don’t touch the mode switches once the dials are set. For example, I run channel 2 on Fluid Drive - that can sound great, but switching to Tite Gain means a re-EQ on the dials, otherwise it’s too bright.

The Bogner is naturally woodier, thicker and generally more compressed, whereas the Deuce is generally more bright/cutting and open. Fluid Drive can be pretty compressed, so I dial back the gain and hit it with the boost.

The Deuce lacks a bit of low end, so I use the EQ in the loop to add a bit in - there is a rectifierish quality to that low end though. The Bogner sounds “bigger” overall.

The Deuce can be made to sound really mean and would really cut in a mix or band situation. I haven’t been able to get the same meanness out of the Bogner. They are about even for useable gain.

On the whole I’d say the Bogner is a fatter, thicker take on a Marshall and the Deuce is a mix of Marshall and rectifier.
 
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I’d look at the RedSeven Duality or Hybrid.

The Duality is basically their take on the Ecstasy. The Hybrid is the clean and crunch/rhythm channels of the Duality and the high gain channel of the Leviathan which is they’re highest gain amp.
 
I'd say the Friedman BE 100 Deluxe, but the more demos I watch of it, the more I think it sounds like the BE OD pedal.
When I listen to my old Ecstasy demo, I want another one!

 
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PlayAndersons said:
VH4
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This. They are somewhat different flavors but they cover a lot of the same ground. The VH4 is more straightforward to dial in and more versatile with its additional channel. Not to mention the Diezel is just a higher quality build all around.
 
CarlF said:
I'd say the Friedman BE 100 Deluxe, but the more demos I watch of it, the more I think it sounds like the BE OD pedal.
When I listen to my old Ecstasy demo, I want another one!

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BE100 DLX versus a Bogner 101B by BP reviews, I think he used to be a member here. The Bogner has that chewy bogner thing.....

According to his YT notes:

Guitar: Suhr Modern Limited Satin Pickup: SSH+
Cabinet: Friedman 412Speaker: Celestion Greenback 25
Mic: SM57/Royer 121Interface/
Mic Pre: PreSonus Quantum 2626
DAW: Logic Pro X
Computer: Apple M2 Studio
Both amps tone controls were around 6 (1 o'clock) Friedman HBE channel, gain at 3 o'clockBogner Red channel w/boost on, gain at 1 o"clock

 
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