leib10
Well-known member
So here it is: my grand, unified thread detailing my Uberschall experiences. 
I’ve been working on this for a few days and have been trying to include everything I could think of. Feel free to comment or add anything to the discussion!
I’ll first start by saying that regardless of type, I liked Chinese 9th Balanced tubes in all positions, except for the Rev 2 and Rev Blue’s V4 position, in which case a JJ ECC83s worked best. The Twin Jet’s V4 controls the first channel which is capable of high gain and therefore I liked keeping a hotter tube in that position. I also found that the Bogner Uberkab was by far the best speaker cab I’ve tried with the Rev 2 and Twin Jet, including the Mesa Standard cab with V30s and the Peavey Valveking cab (no surprises there!).
I’ll first start with the Rev Blue, the first Uberschall I owned. This particular amp was made in August 2006 and had the metal grill option. I purchased it in October 2010 off of eBay. When I first got it, I was using a self-loaded cab with a V30 and a G12T-75 (in a pathetic attempt to make half an Uberkab). My first impression was the flub. Even though it came with JJ E34Ls, the flub was very difficult to dial out. Only by turning the presence nearly off and boosting the treble was I able to control some of it. The bass wasn’t boomy like the Rev 2 or bouncy like the Twin Jet’s, it was just flubby. Turning up the master volume made the amp sag more, while increasing channel volume made it a bit tighter. The highs were also pretty harsh as well. Clean channel was pretty much identical to the Rev 2’s- dark and pretty uninteresting. It did like effects pedals a lot, and the tone was improved with a Boss CS-3 Compression Sustainer and a RV-5 Reverb pedal. The gain channel did not have much articulation at all. You had to be a much more physical picker in order to make notes sound out properly. I tried boosting the amp with a Ibanez TS-9, which helped somewhat with the muddy and loose low end, but it made the amp even harsher. At one point I had a malfunction and had to send the amp back to Bogner, who retubed it with regular JJ EL34s. I hated the muddiness and almost immediately switched back to E34Ls. When I got the Uberkab articulation increased somewhat, but the highs became almost unbearable at high volumes. It actually sounded better with the Peavey Valveking cab. The amp overall had a brighter tonality with an emphasis on the upper mids that reminded me of Marshall immediately and didn’t really jive with me. After reading reviews on the Twin Jet, I worked up the determination and sold the Rev Blue to a fellow Rig-Talk forumite who also had an unfavorable impression of the amp when asked on a follow-up. Maybe my amp was a lemon, but the Rev Blue remains my least favorite iteration of the Uberschall by far.
The Twin Jet came from another Rig-Talk forumite. This one was made in December 2009, which means that it has the gain taper mod for channel one. It also has the cloth grill. When I received it one of the KT88’s was broken, so I had to wait a few days for a new quad to arrive. When I was finally able to play, I was stunned by the difference. The amp was infinitely more articulate, with much better note separation and sustain. There definitely was a darker tonality on channel two (somewhere between the Rev Blue’s and the Rev 2’s), with smoother highs and a much tighter low end. Controls were similar in their interaction to the Rev Blue. Channel one reminded me of the Rev Blue’s channel two in a way, since it was a bit brighter and not quite as tight. I liked it immediately for its leads and harmonics, which screamed in a way that certain Marshall amps do. Really cool stuff. Everybody always complains about the Twin Jet’s cleans, but I found that by keeping the gain at around 10:30 the tones were sparkly and crisp, if not astounding. Compared to the other Uberschalls, the Twin Jet’s cleans obviously fall short, but that was what the amp was designed to do. Light crunch is easily attainable by turning the gain a little past noon. The controls are almost counterintuitive at times, so experimentation with the treble control in particular was really necessary. I also immediately appreciated the added versatility of the master depth and presence controls. The depth control doesn’t really do all that much until about 3 o’clock, when it adds an incredible sub-bass response that nevertheless manages to stay tight. The master presence control reminds me of a cut knob, which adds upper mids to the tone. It also increases volume significantly, like most mid-esque controls on Uberschalls tend to do. I really liked passive pickups with the Twin Jet; with EMGs it tends to put too much gain in the signal and it sounds a bit overloaded. It’s a pretty dry amp, which in certain circumstances I like, and others I don’t. I won’t go into my tube experiences and swaps in this amp, as I’ve written about them several times elsewhere, but adding the bias switch function was a definite plus that only added to what is IMO the most versatile Uberschall. I use the Twin Jet for music that requires really fast riffs and leads, mainly melododeath and thrash.
Finally, the Rev 2. I’d been wanting to play this one for awhile, so I jumped at the chance to buy one for a decent price. It was made on February 18, 2004 (cool that Charley would be that precise!) and has the cloth grill. Plugging it in, I immediately noticed two things: that the gain channel is very, very different from the Twin Jet’s (contrary to popular opinion) and the bass response was ENORMOUS. First I’ll go into the differences. I noticed that there is a lot more treble on tap than the Twin Jet’s or Rev Blue’s, and even though I like a lot of treble in my tone I had to dial it back to about 2:00, unlike either other Uberschall whose treble controls I kept at about 3:30. I also noticed that the amp’s bass response was truly massive, bigger even than the KT88s in the Twin Jet. This was due in part to the fact that it came with JJ EL34s. I have to lower the bass control to about 10:30 to keep it in check- otherwise, it gets really boomy. Not flubby like the Rev Blue’s or punchy like the Twin Jet’s, but rumbling. I replaced the JJ’s with Winged C’s today, which took care of the low end that was a bit much at times. Another important difference was the even darker tonality, which is probably the darkest I’ve ever heard. It’s got this evil, nasty smear that’s really unmistakable, and immediately brings a smile to your face. It’s just a really ugly-sounding amp, which is really cool. It also has a distinctive sag when the power section is pushed, making it perfect for pounding riffs. Saturation is unbelievable, and it’s the wettest amp of the three. I really didn’t like passive pickups as much as the EMGs in this amp. With EMGs, it just slays. It’s just the right combination of tightness and aggressiveness. I’d put that combination up against anything for metal. With passive pickups the bass isn’t quite as tight, but it can get the job done for fast riffs if you keep the bass control at about 10:30. One of the best features about this revision is that it goes from good rhythm to lead tones better than any of the Uberschalls. The other ones have a harshness for leads, but somehow the Rev 2 can switch from nasty, aggressive rhythm tones to really sweet leads. The clean channel is pretty much identical to the Rev Blue’s except for the well-known differences in volumes, which are still easily controlled. After taking the chassis out of the headshell for biasing (one of the major disadvantages of the Rev 2 is the lack of exterior bias points, bias pot, and a FX loop volume control pot), I noticed how different in construction the Rev 2 is from either other Uberschall. A lot more seemed to be done by hand, and it’s really breathtaking to see how complex the amp is and how much care must’ve been taken in making it. The Rev 2 comes into its own with slower metal and hard rock, and can be a monster with an EMG-equipped guitar.
Overall, the Twin Jet is probably the best iteration of the Uberschall. The addition of the master section controls and the ability to get two very different gain tones on the different channels (as well as semi-cleans and crunch) makes the most versatile of them all, and all tones are outstanding. However, the Rev 2 has a tonality that is completely unique and distinctive, and I go to it when the mood strikes (which is often). I was really disappointed with the Rev Blue, but it seems to be a more or less accepted opinion that Bogner went a step backwards with this revision.
Feel free to comment, and I may add more as it comes to me.
I’ve been working on this for a few days and have been trying to include everything I could think of. Feel free to comment or add anything to the discussion!I’ll first start by saying that regardless of type, I liked Chinese 9th Balanced tubes in all positions, except for the Rev 2 and Rev Blue’s V4 position, in which case a JJ ECC83s worked best. The Twin Jet’s V4 controls the first channel which is capable of high gain and therefore I liked keeping a hotter tube in that position. I also found that the Bogner Uberkab was by far the best speaker cab I’ve tried with the Rev 2 and Twin Jet, including the Mesa Standard cab with V30s and the Peavey Valveking cab (no surprises there!).
I’ll first start with the Rev Blue, the first Uberschall I owned. This particular amp was made in August 2006 and had the metal grill option. I purchased it in October 2010 off of eBay. When I first got it, I was using a self-loaded cab with a V30 and a G12T-75 (in a pathetic attempt to make half an Uberkab). My first impression was the flub. Even though it came with JJ E34Ls, the flub was very difficult to dial out. Only by turning the presence nearly off and boosting the treble was I able to control some of it. The bass wasn’t boomy like the Rev 2 or bouncy like the Twin Jet’s, it was just flubby. Turning up the master volume made the amp sag more, while increasing channel volume made it a bit tighter. The highs were also pretty harsh as well. Clean channel was pretty much identical to the Rev 2’s- dark and pretty uninteresting. It did like effects pedals a lot, and the tone was improved with a Boss CS-3 Compression Sustainer and a RV-5 Reverb pedal. The gain channel did not have much articulation at all. You had to be a much more physical picker in order to make notes sound out properly. I tried boosting the amp with a Ibanez TS-9, which helped somewhat with the muddy and loose low end, but it made the amp even harsher. At one point I had a malfunction and had to send the amp back to Bogner, who retubed it with regular JJ EL34s. I hated the muddiness and almost immediately switched back to E34Ls. When I got the Uberkab articulation increased somewhat, but the highs became almost unbearable at high volumes. It actually sounded better with the Peavey Valveking cab. The amp overall had a brighter tonality with an emphasis on the upper mids that reminded me of Marshall immediately and didn’t really jive with me. After reading reviews on the Twin Jet, I worked up the determination and sold the Rev Blue to a fellow Rig-Talk forumite who also had an unfavorable impression of the amp when asked on a follow-up. Maybe my amp was a lemon, but the Rev Blue remains my least favorite iteration of the Uberschall by far.
The Twin Jet came from another Rig-Talk forumite. This one was made in December 2009, which means that it has the gain taper mod for channel one. It also has the cloth grill. When I received it one of the KT88’s was broken, so I had to wait a few days for a new quad to arrive. When I was finally able to play, I was stunned by the difference. The amp was infinitely more articulate, with much better note separation and sustain. There definitely was a darker tonality on channel two (somewhere between the Rev Blue’s and the Rev 2’s), with smoother highs and a much tighter low end. Controls were similar in their interaction to the Rev Blue. Channel one reminded me of the Rev Blue’s channel two in a way, since it was a bit brighter and not quite as tight. I liked it immediately for its leads and harmonics, which screamed in a way that certain Marshall amps do. Really cool stuff. Everybody always complains about the Twin Jet’s cleans, but I found that by keeping the gain at around 10:30 the tones were sparkly and crisp, if not astounding. Compared to the other Uberschalls, the Twin Jet’s cleans obviously fall short, but that was what the amp was designed to do. Light crunch is easily attainable by turning the gain a little past noon. The controls are almost counterintuitive at times, so experimentation with the treble control in particular was really necessary. I also immediately appreciated the added versatility of the master depth and presence controls. The depth control doesn’t really do all that much until about 3 o’clock, when it adds an incredible sub-bass response that nevertheless manages to stay tight. The master presence control reminds me of a cut knob, which adds upper mids to the tone. It also increases volume significantly, like most mid-esque controls on Uberschalls tend to do. I really liked passive pickups with the Twin Jet; with EMGs it tends to put too much gain in the signal and it sounds a bit overloaded. It’s a pretty dry amp, which in certain circumstances I like, and others I don’t. I won’t go into my tube experiences and swaps in this amp, as I’ve written about them several times elsewhere, but adding the bias switch function was a definite plus that only added to what is IMO the most versatile Uberschall. I use the Twin Jet for music that requires really fast riffs and leads, mainly melododeath and thrash.
Finally, the Rev 2. I’d been wanting to play this one for awhile, so I jumped at the chance to buy one for a decent price. It was made on February 18, 2004 (cool that Charley would be that precise!) and has the cloth grill. Plugging it in, I immediately noticed two things: that the gain channel is very, very different from the Twin Jet’s (contrary to popular opinion) and the bass response was ENORMOUS. First I’ll go into the differences. I noticed that there is a lot more treble on tap than the Twin Jet’s or Rev Blue’s, and even though I like a lot of treble in my tone I had to dial it back to about 2:00, unlike either other Uberschall whose treble controls I kept at about 3:30. I also noticed that the amp’s bass response was truly massive, bigger even than the KT88s in the Twin Jet. This was due in part to the fact that it came with JJ EL34s. I have to lower the bass control to about 10:30 to keep it in check- otherwise, it gets really boomy. Not flubby like the Rev Blue’s or punchy like the Twin Jet’s, but rumbling. I replaced the JJ’s with Winged C’s today, which took care of the low end that was a bit much at times. Another important difference was the even darker tonality, which is probably the darkest I’ve ever heard. It’s got this evil, nasty smear that’s really unmistakable, and immediately brings a smile to your face. It’s just a really ugly-sounding amp, which is really cool. It also has a distinctive sag when the power section is pushed, making it perfect for pounding riffs. Saturation is unbelievable, and it’s the wettest amp of the three. I really didn’t like passive pickups as much as the EMGs in this amp. With EMGs, it just slays. It’s just the right combination of tightness and aggressiveness. I’d put that combination up against anything for metal. With passive pickups the bass isn’t quite as tight, but it can get the job done for fast riffs if you keep the bass control at about 10:30. One of the best features about this revision is that it goes from good rhythm to lead tones better than any of the Uberschalls. The other ones have a harshness for leads, but somehow the Rev 2 can switch from nasty, aggressive rhythm tones to really sweet leads. The clean channel is pretty much identical to the Rev Blue’s except for the well-known differences in volumes, which are still easily controlled. After taking the chassis out of the headshell for biasing (one of the major disadvantages of the Rev 2 is the lack of exterior bias points, bias pot, and a FX loop volume control pot), I noticed how different in construction the Rev 2 is from either other Uberschall. A lot more seemed to be done by hand, and it’s really breathtaking to see how complex the amp is and how much care must’ve been taken in making it. The Rev 2 comes into its own with slower metal and hard rock, and can be a monster with an EMG-equipped guitar.
Overall, the Twin Jet is probably the best iteration of the Uberschall. The addition of the master section controls and the ability to get two very different gain tones on the different channels (as well as semi-cleans and crunch) makes the most versatile of them all, and all tones are outstanding. However, the Rev 2 has a tonality that is completely unique and distinctive, and I go to it when the mood strikes (which is often). I was really disappointed with the Rev Blue, but it seems to be a more or less accepted opinion that Bogner went a step backwards with this revision.
Feel free to comment, and I may add more as it comes to me.
