Is the ecstacy worth the cash and 101a vs 101b

7 Dying Trees

7 Dying Trees

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I've wanted a bogner Ecstacy for the longest time after playing one like 4/5 years ago. It's getting to one of those birthdays where I feel like I should treat myself to something expensive that then involves claiming I'm eating ramen noodles for some health/spiritual reason (instead of the real one: temporary poverty)

SO, they aren't cheap, and the most I've spent on an amp is nowhere near what they go for seeing as I'm a miser. I've got a nice collection of cheaply acquired tube heads (VHT Ultralead / Sigx, Diezel VH4/Hagen, Sloclone, Racktifier and OG 5150, a be100 clone, randall rm100 and a marshall 30th anniversary) and have the ecstacy module for the randall rm100 (modded it to synergy specs).

Now, I loved it in the shop, but since i got the synergy module the rm100 has been playing up a bit, so i've not really had a chance to revisit the ecstacy module...

So, given the above, will an ecstacy offer me something I can't already get close to? And what is the difference between the 101a/b (well, tubes obviously, but what's the general concensus on the difference in terms of, well, sound).
 
I own the Ecstasy synergy module. Sorta grew on me over time.

The only thing I’d offer is that in my sole experience of both owning a head and synergy module of the same type (SLO) over a different time period, I was extremely impressed with how close the module nailed the tone of the head. So the main advantage is probably going to be the dedicated clean channel, and additional switch capabilities. For the core lead tones, you’re probably really close with the module.

That said. YOLO. Hope you enjoy the new amp :ROFLMAO:
 
Glad to see you here, brother!

Aside from the BE-Clone, it doesn’t look like you’re going to have too much overlap between the Ecstasy and your other amps.

@Matt5150 and @andergtr are much more familiar with Ecstasy’s than I am, they can probably answer your question about a VS b.
 
DrewJD82 said:
Glad to see you here, brother!

Aside from the BE-Clone, it doesn’t look like you’re going to have too much overlap between the Ecstasy and your other amps.

@Matt5150 and @andergtr are much more familiar with Ecstasy’s than I am, they can probably answer your question about a VS b.
Click to expand...
i had two 101Bs and a 100A. the differences aren't huge...the A is a 6L6 power section and maybe bigger lower mids but less of that upper mid thing that EL34s have.

that said, both amps are killer and you can't go wrong either way. i sold my 100A and currently just have an ecstasy 3534 which i love.

if you need some clips of the 100A or the 3534, i have some things i can post.
 
andergtr said:
i had two 101Bs and a 100A. the differences aren't huge...the A is a 6L6 power section and maybe bigger lower mids but less of that upper mid thing that EL34s have.

that said, both amps are killer and you can't go wrong either way. i sold my 100A and currently just have an ecstasy 3534 which i love.

if you need some clips of the 100A or the 3534, i have some things i can post.
Click to expand...
clips would be cool as hell, not really got as much funds floating about as I did, so prefer to get it right first time
 
7 Dying Trees said:
Can you pin down exactly what you like better? Looser? Tighter? Different mid focus?
Click to expand...
Definitely a yes on tighter and more mids. Overall I just like the EL34’s in that amp more than 6L6’s. It seems to breathe better if that’s makes any sense.
 
The only 2 big boy amps I still have yet to own are an XTC and a Sig X. I have soiled most of the other heavy
hitters with my incompetence, but those two have eluded me. So far.
 
I got my 101b back in about '06. I had been playing JCM800s for years, and had no intent to change. I saw an XTC in a local shop and thought I should at least hear it. A hour later, I had dropped the cash and walked out with it. For more than a decade, it was my main gigging amp, with others as backups.

Today, I only have two tube amps - a JCM800 and that XTC.

I'll second what someone said above about the clean channel being pretty incredible in addition to blue and red. I can't speak to the comparison with the Synergy module, but I can say that the XTC is, IMO, the single best production tube amp ever built.
 
20th XTC is one of my favorite amps.
Love the Blue channel (crunch).
Currently have the Red channel dialed as an extension of the Blue (more gain, still nice an articulate).
I like the Green channel... maybe not quite as much as Shiva cleans.
If you're looking for one amp that can cover a lot... and sound great doing it, it's hard to beat the XTC.
I'd describe the 20th XTC as a more refined 5150.
 
Jim Roseberry said:
20th XTC is one of my favorite amps.
Love the Blue channel (crunch).
Currently have the Red channel dialed as an extension of the Blue (more gain, still nice an articulate).
I like the Green channel... maybe not quite as much as Shiva cleans.
If you're looking for one amp that can cover a lot... and sound great doing it, it's hard to beat the XTC.
I'd describe the 20th XTC as a more refined 5150.
Click to expand...
That sounds :love
 
Jim Roseberry said:
20th XTC is one of my favorite amps.
Love the Blue channel (crunch).
Currently have the Red channel dialed as an extension of the Blue (more gain, still nice an articulate).
I like the Green channel... maybe not quite as much as Shiva cleans.
If you're looking for one amp that can cover a lot... and sound great doing it, it's hard to beat the XTC.
I'd describe the 20th XTC as a more refined 5150.
Click to expand...

May I ask what your other "favorite amps" are? For purposes of context.
 
la szum said:
May I ask what your other "favorite amps" are? For purposes of context.
Click to expand...
Sure...
To give some perspective, I'm into "modded-Marshall" type tone/gain.
Been thru a lot of amps. Seem to gravitate toward Bogner amps.

20th Shiva (may be my absolute favorite)
Shiva (Cleans)
Helios 50 (Bogner's take on old-school Marshall)
BE 100 Deluxe
Triamp mk3
Revv Generator 120mk3
 
One of my favorite small rigs:
Engl Ironball into a pair of Orange 1x12 cabs.
That's one of the few smaller amps I actually liked. Not usually a fan of EL84 amps.
May sound crazy, but I liked it more than the JVM-410H that replaced it.
Killer crunch tones... and loaded with features for a small amp.
 
Jim Roseberry said:
Sure...
To give some perspective, I'm into "modded-Marshall" type tone/gain.
Been thru a lot of amps. Seem to gravitate toward Bogner amps.

20th Shiva (may be my absolute favorite)
Shiva (Cleans)
Helios 50 (Bogner's take on old-school Marshall)
BE 100 Deluxe
Triamp mk3
Revv Generator 120mk3
Click to expand...

We have eerily similar tastes. I have owned a lot of Bogners, but not an Ecstasy. Yet. 😏

Have a Goldfinger 45 right now that is a fave. Had a Shiva and just could not get it
to work for me. Way too dark. Just felt like I couldn't get it to open up and deliver
the goods.

Not a Friedman fan. They feel/sound too smooth to me. Like Dave polished all the
Marshall out of them to the point they are something else.

I'd say a Plexi/Superlead/to modded JCM800 is my wheelhouse. I feel like I can
play ANY style of music with those amps.

Thanks for sharing! :beer
 
la szum said:
We have eerily similar tastes. I have owned a lot of Bogners, but not an Ecstasy. Yet. 😏

Have a Goldfinger 45 right now that is a fave. Had a Shiva and just could not get it
to work for me. Way too dark. Just felt like I couldn't get it to open up and deliver
the goods.

Not a Friedman fan. They feel/sound too smooth to me. Like Dave polished all the
Marshall out of them to the point they are something else.

I'd say a Plexi/Superlead/to modded JCM800 is my wheelhouse. I feel like I can
play ANY style of music with those amps.

Thanks for sharing! :beer
Click to expand...

Standard Shiva (EL34) doesn't have quite enough gain for me (by itself)... and it has fair amount of flub on the bottom end.
Run a MXR EQ on the front... and it's really nice. More gain and the flub is gone.

20th Shiva is definitely tighter on the bottom-end... and has enough gain (for my purposes).
The cleans on the 20th Shiva are also excellent. Standard Shiva cleans might be slightly "sweeter" sounding... but it's really close.

I've owned the BE100 Deluxe three different times.
Each time... I like it more than the last.
I get what you mean about it being really smooth.

Haven't played a Goldfinger, but it sounds intriguing.

If you like Bogner amps, I'd definitely recommend checking out an Ecstasy.
Many really cool features...
Great tones
Expensive, but one of the best channel-switching amps made (IMO).
 
Jim Roseberry said:
Standard Shiva (EL34) doesn't have quite enough gain for me (by itself)... and it has fair amount of flub on the bottom end.
Run a MXR EQ on the front... and it's really nice. More gain and the flub is gone.

20th Shiva is definitely tighter on the bottom-end... and has enough gain (for my purposes).
The cleans on the 20th Shiva are also excellent. Standard Shiva cleans might be slightly "sweeter" sounding... but it's really close.

I've owned the BE100 Deluxe three different times.
Each time... I like it more than the last.
I get what you mean about it being really smooth.

Haven't played a Goldfinger, but it sounds intriguing.

If you like Bogner amps, I'd definitely recommend checking out an Ecstasy.
Many really cool features...
Great tones
Expensive, but one of the best channel-switching amps made (IMO).
Click to expand...


Thanks! :)

What's your fave iteration/version of the Ecstasy??
 
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