Bogner Alchemist Head?

[tsp17]

Any thoughts on the Alchemist? Beast of a head at 40lbs, but there is one on craigslist locally for a good price. Thinking about it as an option.

[Steiner]

I like Reinhold's designs. This amp has many great reviews. If it's anything like his other creations, it's a winner.

 

Question: Aren't you a jazz guy? This is the second high gain amp you've questioned in as many threads. I' having trouble wrapping my mind around Greensleeves through a Bogner.

[JeffB]

A friend who has Bad Cats, /by 13, Mesa's and various classic Marshalls surprised us all by gigging with a Alchemist for about a year or so.

He turned me on to them as useful devices for amplification even though I had already been selling them for about 3yrs at the time.

[mtpatty]

by my friend Gary Hoey not sure it is a Bogner, but I know it is a high gain type amp- FWIW

[tsp17]

I like Reinhold's designs. This amp has many great reviews. If it's anything like his other creations, it's a winner.

 

Question: Aren't you a jazz guy? This is the second high gain amp you've questioned in as many threads. I' having trouble wrapping my mind around Greensleeves through a Bogner.

yes- you are right, but i've been exploring classic rock lately and i have a nice 2x12 cab that has asked me for a tube head companion. It is lonely and needs a friend. I got a second dog as daytime pal for my first dog and this cabinet is relentless in demanding equal treatment.

 

This Bogner is going for cheap here and is almost new. Plus my new (to me) Trans Red H150 is begging to rock and my Princeton Reverb is constantly on the fritz. Very frustrating 'cause when that amp is feeling good, it is sublime. Alas, it is unreliable so i need a tubular back up to scratch the itch that my solid state amps just don't reach.

 

the other Bogner head on my list is the New Yorker. That one looks right up my alley, but hard to find and more than twice the price.

[tsp17]

A friend who has Bad Cats, /by 13, Mesa's and various classic Marshalls surprised us all by gigging with a Alchemist for about a year or so.

He turned me on to them as useful devices for amplification even though I had already been selling them for about 3yrs at the time.

interesting- thanks. takes pedals well i assume? Cleanest channel sounds like....?

[Steiner]

One of the best clean channels I have heard on a high-gain amp belonged to a Bogner. That is a rarity in my book.

[JeffB]

The bogner Alchemist is made by Line6 in China. There is no other Bogner you will find at that price.

Like most Line6 stuff, its pretty bullet proof. (not including Spider valve amps that had a few issues)

Its not a fender clean its a bit more chime-y and edgy, it also doesnt start to get squishy and compressed too early . Its a nice clean with some depth to it.

The Gain channel/modes are pretty good. I didnt find the sound or gain to be offensive. Not too gritty, not to smooth. One mode is a bit dark.

I didnt find Line6's built in delay or reverb to be terrible but I liked it used only lightly.

I didnt like the combos or cabs. I tried the 212 cab with my gear and found it to be something I didnt like too mch. Couldve been the speakers could have been the shallow cab design.

 

When we first stocked them Line6 had released them with what I thought was a way to high RRP for a product made in China. That was a big part of my initial impression of them and why I had a negative bias toward them. At the time I would just show people the Mesa Express or other US or UK made amps and bypass the Alchemist so I didnt have to discuss country of manufacture and price. I thought the price was disgusting compared to other MIC products and just having Bogner written on it didnt justify anything.

That is why I never bothered to spend too much time with them until another staff member owned up to using one. He always has a great rock tone and that made the amp worth investigating. Personally its not my sort of thing but if you want an easy to dial in rock amp its an ok amp. The clean is alright as well, it will break up nicely at volume. Its only a 40w amp.

[Steiner]

You know, shoe leather this time of year tastes better than I remember. I never realized that Bogner rented his name to Line 6.

 

The Bogners I have used are the Shiva and XTC. Both have fun sounds that come from different origins than the far east. At least the other guy who designed a Chinese amp had the forethought to call it Jet City. No confusion there.

 

I have to admit tsp17, I haven't played one of these. I thought Bogner had released another new, made in USA model as he has done over the past few years.

 

I apologize and refer you to the esteemed man from down under with actual experience.

 

As the great and powerful Tulk1 would say: " "

[tsp17]

The bogner Alchemist is made by Line6 in China. There is no other Bogner you will find at that price.

Like most Line6 stuff, its pretty bullet proof. (not including Spider valve amps that had a few issues)

Its not a fender clean its a bit more chime-y and edgy, it also doesnt start to get squishy and compressed too early . Its a nice clean with some depth to it.

The Gain channel/modes are pretty good. I didnt find the sound or gain to be offensive. Not too gritty, not to smooth. One mode is a bit dark.

I didnt find Line6's built in delay or reverb to be terrible but I liked it used only lightly.

I didnt like the combos or cabs. I tried the 212 cab with my gear and found it to be something I didnt like too mch. Couldve been the speakers could have been the shallow cab design.

 

When we first stocked them Line6 had released them with what I thought was a way to high RRP for a product made in China. That was a big part of my initial impression of them and why I had a negative bias toward them. At the time I would just show people the Mesa Express or other US or UK made amps and bypass the Alchemist so I didnt have to discuss country of manufacture and price. I thought the price was disgusting compared to other MIC products and just having Bogner written on it didnt justify anything.

That is why I never bothered to spend too much time with them until another staff member owned up to using one. He always has a great rock tone and that made the amp worth investigating. Personally its not my sort of thing but if you want an easy to dial in rock amp its an ok amp. The clean is alright as well, it will break up nicely at volume. Its only a 40w amp.

 

 

You know, shoe leather this time of year tastes better than I remember. I never realized that Bogner rented his name to Line 6.

 

The Bogners I have used are the Shiva and XTC. Both have fun sounds that come from different origins than the far east. At least the other guy who designed a Chinese amp had the forethought to call it Jet City. No confusion there.

 

I have to admit tsp17, I haven't played one of these. I thought Bogner had released another new, made in USA model as he has done over the past few years.

 

I apologize and refer you to the esteemed man from down under with actual experience.

 

As the great and powerful Tulk1 would say: " "

 

 

One of the best clean channels I have heard on a high-gain amp belonged to a Bogner. That is a rarity in my book.

 

Thanks very much boys.

[212Mavguy]

I saw one on ebay, just the chassis for sale. Gut shots showed Chinese built to a price point construction, including ribbon cables. Was VERY tempting, nice looking iron. I passed on it with zero remorse. Never saw the guts of a Chinese amp that looked easy to repair yet. Have a friend that has a "real" Bogner 2/12 combo, it sounded really, really good. I'll bet that the Chinese built Alchemist does too, but I would not want to try to repair it. Not sure that the resale value would be all that great. Mesa Boogie amps have used ribbon cables, but they hold their value well and have nicer parts mounted to nicer quality printed circuit boards. YMMV

[tulk1]

Bogner helped design the Vox amps that sorta brought them into the modern era, didn't he? ................. uh .... didn't he? (ha!!!)