Bogner Shiva 20th Ann. With EL34's?

[unionjackass]

Does anyone own one of these or has played the EL34 version of the 20th Shiva? How does it sound and feel in comparison to the KT88 version? How much headroom is lost with EL34's? Has anyone tried 6550's?

 

[skhan007]

I just played this amp this morning at the local guitar shop. The guys there state this is their "benchmark" amp for brilliant cleans. With EL34's, this amp was surprisingly brilliant sounding. Like a really good blackface Fender twin. I've never played the Shiva with other tubes, so can't compare, but there was TONS of clean headroom on that clean channel.

 

[unionjackass]

I just played this amp this morning at the local guitar shop. The guys there state this is their "benchmark" amp for brilliant cleans. With EL34's, this amp was surprisingly brilliant sounding. Like a really good blackface Fender twin. I've never played the Shiva with other tubes, so can't compare, but there was TONS of clean headroom on that clean channel.

Thanks. I'm looking forward to getting mine. Did you try the gain channel?

 

[skhan007]

Thanks. I'm looking forward to getting mine. Did you try the gain channel?

Oh yeah, the Gain channel was exactly what I was expecting. I think Bogner's have definitely developed a reputation for that rich, thick, plexi-type gain. This was no exception. You may already know, but the amp has a tonestack bypass for both channels, so you can get a bit more push, if required. The amp had more gain on tap than I would ever need. The mid-shift thing didn't seem to be useful for me. It was like turning your mid knob down to zero with the push of a button. I guess that's cool if you're playing metal, but I liked the mids for blues. The only negative, and it's a very small one and personal preference, was I didn't think the reverb was that great.

 

[unionjackass]

I'm starting to feel a bit more comfortable with my decision after reading this and a few other posts, but the whole Goldfinger 90 vs. Shiva 20th vs. Triptik thing keeps nagging at me.

 

[1973Marshall]

Sorry to hijack thread but how does the 20th anniv compare to the older Shivas with no bright's etc

 

[guitarvc]

I have had an EL34 Standard Shiva, 2 Standard 6L6 Shivas and now have an anniversary with KT88's. I have also played an Anniversary with EL34's. All are great amps, and I have the Anniversary for the added gain on tap. Sometimes, KT88's can be a bit harsh, but if dialed in correctly they sound great and punch through any mix very well. They sound better with a band than by themselves. The EL34 Anniversary is a great amp, I just decided to go with the amp as it was designed, and it was a good choice. Either one will be a great amp. Bogner doesn't have a bad one.