BOGNER
Custom Amplification 20th
PRODUCT REVIEW
Anniversary Shiva and Ecstasy
BY JORDAN WAGNER
them exclusive among
the other amplifiers in
the Bogner lineup. The
Shiva has a redesigned
boost circuit and different
power tubes, and the
Clean and Dirty preamps
are completely
new Designs. The
Ecstasy has an
almost entirely new
preamp design with
revitalized cleans
and a voicing switch
(dubbed Vintage/
Modern), among
other additions. Not
only do they sound
a little different,
but they feel a little
different too.
Using a 2008 Fender American Stratocaster,
I was able to get the classic Shiva clean tone
with much more heft and definition. Using the
reverb control on the back helped deepen the
sound. What was particularly impressive about
the clean channel was how three-dimensional it
was in this state. The amount of reverb (which
has dedicated mix controls for each channel)
available is immense, so I had to be careful not
to wash the sound out. I found that for most
applications, I never had to take the knob higher
than 9 o’clock. The KT88s already provided a
solid foundation—enough to shake the room—
so the reverb was icing on the cake.
From Steve Vai to Jerry Cantrell, scores of
professional musicians and session players
have used amplifiers produced by Reinhold
Bogner. His expertise and know-how are
legendary, and after only twenty years in the
American amplifier business. To celebrate those
illustrious two decades, Bogner has released
the 20th Anniversary Series, based specifically
on two of their most popular amps: the Shiva
and Ecstasy. Finished in white tolex, plexiglass
front panels and salt-and-pepper grille cloth,
the new commemorative series is a beautiful
sight to behold, with cabinets to match. A
new visual style isn’t where it stops, however,
since these amps have had some redesigns
and re-voicing applied to their circuits, making
Shiva
The 20th Anniversary
Shiva is a similar
beast to its standard
brethren, but
has some extra
trimmings that help
differentiate it from
the rest. First and
foremost, it’s powered
by a pair of mighty KT88 power tubes, which
are known for their immense headroom and
“wide” sound. The KT88 also exhibits more of
a hi-fi effect compared to a more run-of-the-mill
set of 6L6s or EL34s. They’re typically used in
tube bass amps, but when used for guitar they
have a very bouncy, dynamic feel with a large
low-end response. The head utilizes a simple
two-band EQ section (with bright switch) and
a preamp Gain control for its clean tones, and
a more familiar three-band EQ to alter and
shape its gain tones. Working in tandem with
those controls are two buttons labeled Shift and
Mode, with the former shifting the EQ spectrum
to have less mids, and the latter to add more
aggression to the sound.
Also embedded in the new circuitry is a brand
new boost circuit with a separate gain stage
that’s exclusive to the clean channel. Bogner
explains that when it’s engaged, it keeps the
tone controls in an active state, unlike the
boost circuit in the standard Shiva model,
which bypasses the tone stack. When activated,
the chimey, pristine, clean sound of the Shiva
suddenly had enough gain available to take it
into overdriven Super Lead territory, complete
with a nice boost in the mids that kicked hard.
The 2007 Gibson Flying V that I had plugged
into it by this time seemed like the perfect
match for this mode. This was an overdue
reunion for me personally, since the clean
channel of the Shiva was what initially impressed
me with Bogner’s designs years ago. It was great
to hear that full, cutting tone again and to be
able to play around with some new attributes
that made it sound even better than before.
Speaking of the gain channel, it’s received
some upgrades of its own and been
refined, so it has more gain available and
two new switches to change its feel and
aggressiveness. One of the things about
the gain channel of the original Shiva that
impressed me was how tight and thick it
was when playing heavier chords—and
how fluid and complex it could be when
playing leads with the same tone settings.
The 20th Anniversary model shares the
same characteristics, but with a much less
