NAD X2: Friedman BE-50 deluxe, Bogner Ecstacy

monkey42

I see they’re both now listed on eBay.

were they not for you?

Nerine

I always warn everyone off the Ecstasy. It ain’t all it’s cracked up to be IMO. The Friedman is a better amp. 

I used to be a huge Bogner fanboy, and I’ve owned loads of them, but I’ve had issues with all of them, and I think a JCM 800 with an EQ pedal in the loop and a boost up front sounds better than an Ecstasy. 

Friedman is a different kettle of fish. They take the 800 and plexi vibe but put it into one package, refine/improve it and make it actually something you want to buy. All my opinion of course. 

Everyone i’ve known that wanted an Ecstasy (after I told them not to) has bought one and consequently moved it on when they realised it really isn’t the tonal Mecca it’s often lauded as. 

I’d stick with my Small Box all day... 

Fortheloveofguitar

I’ve now sold the Friedman

My final views on it are that I don’t need a clean channel but it was ok 

BE channel: I absolutely love this channel and it nails the hot rodded Marshall tone I’ve always been looking for. It’s outstanding 

HBE channel: Fell apart for me here as it does give the extra ‘hair’ to the tone but it then loses some of that BE channel punch and sounds thinner and also the EQ is changed slightly. 

This was a huge disappointment for me and even if it had the punch still then the EQ needs adjusting but it’s a shared EQ for both the BE and HBE channels 

So it was a case of £2400 for basically one channel that I loved and although the BE is outstanding I don’t think it’s £2.4K of outstanding 

Anyway it’s all ended well as I’ve been looking for some time at trying the Synergy preamp module setup so I bought the SYN-2 and a Slo and BE module and A/B’d the BE-50 deluxe BE channel with the Synergy module via my Palmer Tino

Dave has nailed it and it not only sounds identical but it feels the same too so I’m very pleased that I’ve got the BE channel for £375

Aidanspaghetti

Buy a Satriani Marshall..... !
Real sleeper amp and cheap too...

spirit7

Nerine said:

I always warn everyone off the Ecstasy. It ain’t all it’s cracked up to be IMO. The Friedman is a better amp. 

I used to be a huge Bogner fanboy, and I’ve owned loads of them, but I’ve had issues with all of them, and I think a JCM 800 with an EQ pedal in the loop and a boost up front sounds better than an Ecstasy. 

Friedman is a different kettle of fish. They take the 800 and plexi vibe but put it into one package, refine/improve it and make it actually something you want to buy. All my opinion of course. 

Everyone i’ve known that wanted an Ecstasy (after I told them not to) has bought one and consequently moved it on when they realised it really isn’t the tonal Mecca it’s often lauded as. 

I’d stick with my Small Box all day... 

That’s a really interesting take.  I can understand it as regards the 101B, which I love but is very much its own thing and not for everyone.  But the 20th Anniversary XTC is an absolute masterpiece of an amp and more characterful than any Friedman I’ve played.