Flexible amps - BognerShiva/xtc?

John_P

Just thinking about options if I decide to change amps this year.   

At the moment I'm gigging with a fractal ax8 into a fender twin or an evh 50.   Sounds awesome either way but the evh rarely gets used and I thought about changing it.    

Ideally I'd like 3 channels but a good clean and highish gain are top of the list but I'm interested in practical flexible gigging amps.   

In the past I've have a few mesa and hughes & kettner amps that did a great job but I'd like to try something different. 

 With a bit of help from pedals , I think a shiva could do it - so I'd be interested in any thoughts on them.

timmysoft

Every bogner amp I've ever been in contact with has had reliability issues. They sound great and I love their cabs but I'm not a fan of their build quality.

firepaulmusic

timmysoft said:

Every bogner amp I've ever been in contact with has had reliability issues. They sound great and I love their cabs but I'm not a fan of their build quality.

In their defence I've had 4 Shivas and never had a single problem....

camf

^^^ This. My Shiva has been rock solid. Especially when I try and pick it up.

John_P

Can I ask what sort of sounds you're all using the shiva for and if you need to add pedals to get the best out of them?

firepaulmusic

I could gig in my rock/soul band with just the amp. Great clean, clean with boost, OD and OD with boost...

John_P

Thanks. Sounds like it would cover most of what I need.
I'm toying with selling the evh and ax8 and getting a shiva and a g2 to switch channels and effects.

I take it the channel switching and boosts can be operated by something like a g2 instead of relying on the foot switch?

camf

Sorry to bounce in, and I've no idea if it works with a G2 (I'd guess it would), but my Shiva 1x12 will be going back up on sale soon, once I upload the photos and I'd dfinitely be up for looking at trades for guitars/amps/effects.

John_P

camf;1092764" said:

Sorry to bounce in, and I've no idea if it works with a G2 (I'd guess it would), but my Shiva 1x12 will be going back up on sale soon, once I upload the photos and I'd dfinitely be up for looking at trades for guitars/amps/effects.

More opinions the better... I'd be looking for a head and 2x12 though. Of course this weekends gigs might make me decide to stick with ax8 rig.

camf

My 1x12 comes with an optional headshell. But having used both, despite the weight, I think it works better as a combo.

The ported cab on these sounds huge. I love the big cleans and the big drive channel. If I wasn't so old, I'd be holding onto it. I know there are those who aren't fans but I think it's as good as any at giving that Fender-ish/JCM800-ish combination and with a 1x12 cab that sounds more like a 4x12.

Also, as I've said before, and I was talking to ICBM today about it, it has one of the best master volumes I've ever had on an amp. You really can use it as a great bedroom amp!

Wish I'd had an amp like the Shiva when I was younger.

camf

Sorry about the sales pitch... but I do think that!

welshboyo

I gig every weekend with a Shiva and FX8, by far the best sound I have ever had.

Yes, this Shiva and my last one showed the exact same problems with a heater power supply but never anything major and could be just bad luck on my part.

Quite a thick sounding amp, very 80's LA sounding to me (which I love anyway) Clean channel is the best sounding channel I have ever heard and will take pedals well and I normally push this channel with either the BB or Zendrive off the FX8 for on the edge breakup sounds.

I find the gain channel becomes too congested with extra pedals in front of it and I'll only ever use a mild TS if I need anything - mainly to bring the mids out a little more.

Will do its thing at any volume as the master works so well.

If you've still got my Mojado I used to mix both sometimes and there's a wide sound to behold!!!

darcym

John_P said:

Thanks. Sounds like it would cover most of what I need.
I'm toying with selling the evh and ax8 and getting a shiva and a g2 to switch channels and effects.

I take it the channel switching and boosts can be operated by something like a g2 instead of relying on the foot switch?

can I turn the question around to you for a moment, I've seen nothing but glowing reviews on the ax8, and you've spoken highly of it yourself, can I query why you're considering selling it and going back to the amp doing the work ?

John_P

darcym said:

John_P said:

Thanks. Sounds like it would cover most of what I need.
I'm toying with selling the evh and ax8 and getting a shiva and a g2 to switch channels and effects.

I take it the channel switching and boosts can be operated by something like a g2 instead of relying on the foot switch?

can I turn the question around to you for a moment, I've seen nothing but glowing reviews on the ax8, and you've spoken highly of it yourself, can I query why you're considering selling it and going back to the amp doing the work ?

It's nothing about the ax8,  although it's quick to edit and sounds great there is something I miss about having the amp do the work and adding fx and controlling it.   I've been mainly gigging into a fender twin with the ax8,  this weekend I'll use the evh and just use the ax8 to add fx instead of amp sims.    If I prefer that route then I'm exploring other options to the evh - I'd like a better clean sound without compromising the crunch on ch2 -  I know the 100w evh would do everything I want but a change might be interesting.

I haven't tried running the ax8 into any of my old marshalls yet and should explore that option as well. 

I don't think any of the changes I'm toying with will result in better sounds or even an easier to use rig but I fancy a change.    The other route I'm thinking about is to keep the ax8 and run that into a different head so I've got all options covered. 

paulmapp8306

Fender Machete Head?  Tough to find over hear even in combo form, and maybe not to taste.  Its got the best clean and bluesy crunch of any channel switcher Ive tried, and would be nearer to a twin than most.  Its a little of a compromise on 3 Ch though - clean channel with F/S boost for crunch then separate lead channel.

rockmonster

I've had most of the Bogner range and gigged shivas for a while. Two things, the boost never boosted enough IMHO to get the oomph I needed for soloing- and the loops are shite! Lol! Once I had the EVH I was much happier! I've used the EVH 100 mostly but had a good few 50's too. I think you'll have to goose it with a pedal. I use a G2 and I don't think it will be a problem running it with a shiva. Chuck a boost in too and you'll be fine! (I never had the G2 when I used Bogners)

camf

Yeah the boost is mainly just a gain boost. I've never tried the loop so I couldn't say.

John_P

rockmonster said:

I've had most of the Bogner range and gigged shivas for a while. Two things, the boost never boosted enough IMHO to get the oomph I needed for soloing- and the loops are shite! Lol! Once I had the EVH I was much happier! I've used the EVH 100 mostly but had a good few 50's too. I think you'll have to goose it with a pedal. I use a G2 and I don't think it will be a problem running it with a shiva. Chuck a boost in too and you'll be fine! (I never had the G2 when I used Bogners)

Thanks for that Rod,  the more I look at spec's and clips it feels like the evh fits my needs perfectly.    I need to spend more time playing with the ax8 and get closer to the cleans I get from the twin,   I might try a mix and match with some patches using the ax8 as the preamp and some using the evh.    It'll be an interesting comparison to see just how close the models are. 

firepaulmusic

rockmonster said:

I've had most of the Bogner range and gigged shivas for a while. Two things, the boost never boosted enough IMHO to get the oomph I needed for soloing- and the loops are shite! Lol! Once I had the EVH I was much happier! I've used the EVH 100 mostly but had a good few 50's too. I think you'll have to goose it with a pedal. I use a G2 and I don't think it will be a problem running it with a shiva. Chuck a boost in too and you'll be fine! (I never had the G2 when I used Bogners)

All personal opinions obviously but I reckon the boost is great for solos and gives plenty of extra volume and the loop is fine.

camf

I like the boost too and really like how it thickens up the tone for lead work, but I can see why somebody might like it to have a bit more volume. But that said, setting a fixed level of volume in a boost is such a subjective thing.  

welshboyo

Don't understand why the loops get a slating? I have the later Traffic Green revision model with the updated loop and it's perfect, doesn't lose any volume or tone, if anything, provided your pedals/rack can handle it you can actually get a louder/aggressive tone by using the hotter send!!

Plenty of gain for me, and as I have said before I will sometimes push it a little harder with a TS on 2nd channel.

The Boost does add a tiny amount of hair to the tone too and really comes alive at gig levels.

For me, the amp is suited for Vintage 30's and definitely sounds better with these than the CL80 equipped models (Rod, I think I had your combo with CL80)