Bogner 20th Anniversary Shiva (No Reverb) Reviews

5.0/5.0 based on 2 customer reviews

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Customer Reviews

Mike
from Atlanta, GA
December 31, 2011Music Background:
semi-pro musician

If you could only have one amp on a deserted island....

Having collected a multitude of different amps over the years (Bad Cat, MB, 65 Amps, Orange, Bogner, etc), this version of the Shiva is the end point for me. The versatility is astounding. Channel 1 goes from Fender clean to Plexi bark with boost engaged. Clean headroom is enormous (and btw it takes OD pedals incredibly well). Channel 2 runs the gamut with the different modes from classic Shiva Marshall-esque crunch to raging over-the-top gain. The voicing in all modes is just nailed right.

Agree with the earlier feedback that although this can be a loud amp, the excursion control adds depth while playing at lower volumes. It just sounds good quiet and it sounds good loud.

If you're like me and are tone-restless with amps, this will probably be your last stop. It's just that good.

Scott Rolf
from Placentia, CA
December 20, 2011Music Background:
Serious Hobbiest

My Grailtone Quest Has Ended

WARNING!! Use of this device may cause disuse of any other similar device in your possession!!!
In a word, the Bogner 20th Anniversary Custom Shop Shiva is…..perfect. I am NOT easily impressed by the plethora of gear available today. With that said, the Shiva 20th Anniversary has certainly found a place in my personal quest for the elusive “Grail Tone”. My journey's end. I had the EL34 and EL84 bases already covered with my Mesa Stiletto Ace and Orange Tiny Terror and was looking for something “different”. I had remembered Bogner during my original fact finding mission for amps a few years back but the price point was always a little too rich for me. I decided to revisit them and learned they had a KT88 Power Tube line which is the Shiva 20th Anniversary model produced by Bogner’s Custom Shop in Los Angeles. With the help of my excellent Sales Engineer, Eddie Tighe, at Sweetwater I was able to determine that a KT88 amp might just suite my needs based on our many conversations over the phone and email communiqués. I decided to pull the trigger and take a calculated chance.
The bottom line…..you get what you pay for. And this amp is no exception. Even though it’s an absolute BEAST with 90 watts and weighing in at 41 pounds, I was surprised and impressed to hear how great this sounds even at “bedroom volume”. This is accomplished by a feature which enables you to accentuate the bass and headroom response via a rotary dial in the rear much like the “loudness” buttons on the older stereo units did in the past. There are 2 channels. 1 for Clean and 2 for dirty. The clean has SO much sparkle and bell-like chime its unreal. When you dig into a bass string it’s like a solid punch in the chest. Tons of bass response but absolutely CLEAR. Both channels have a bright switch included and the face and boost/channel which is operated by a footswitch or manual mode via a rotary switch in the rear. Channel 2 has a “Mode” button which is like adding an extra rectifier in the circuit thus giving it a very in-your-face tone. There is also a separate Boost Volume and “Shift” button which, as described in the manual, gives the amp a Dumble-like tone. Having never owned a Dumble I really cannot confirm that.
Listen, I could go on and on about the Bogner 20th Anniversary Shiva and in the end it’s all just someone’s personal opinion right? All I can tell you for certain is if you are looking for an amp that has fantastic versatility this is it. This is a KEEPER for life. Oh and that reminds me….this has a Lifetime Warranty. That should give you an idea of how confident Bogner is about their product.