Bogner Pedals - New La Grange pedal arrival and test

[Jeff R]

I ask because I'm in the market for a distinctly "British" amp tone offering for my repair shop clients when they test-drive my work. I watched this video with my morning coffee and this may be the ticket, considering not only a $$$ savings over an amp but my limited workshop floor space that I'm already outgrowing. Seeing this and having been around Bogner's actual amps (which I love), I'm wondering if one of his high-gain stomp boxes (Ubershall or Ecstacy pedal perhaps), would be another/more practical and effective litmus test(s) via stomps instead of space-eating amps. 

 

Edited to add ... I just ordered the La Grange pedal online from a California vendor that says online they have it in stock, so I guess I'll have a bench report for you guys in a week or so :).

 

[HamerDave]

I have a Bogner Ecstacy red. Honestly, I didn't use it much. It's a bit noisy. I liked having the built in, and very adjustable, boost. The options are amazing and you could spend months tweaking it. It's currently sitting on my little board so my son can use it.. I'm running four different drives on my main board that I like a lot more than the Boggy. It's likely it'll be moving on soon.

[zenmindbeginner]

I use a Bogner Harlow from time to time... it's noisy as hell but if you set it conservatively it's not too noisy.

I got it for the Neve transformer and "bloom" feature... I'm kind of a sucker for one knob or no knob compressors... too many knobs gets most of us in trouble compression-wise.

I was hoping that the La Grange would be out before I did the Pearly Gates demo... nope, not a chance. Interested to see what you think Jeff, you've got a good reputation for a solid and consistent set of ears.

[Jeff R]

Arrived yesterday and I got to play around with it for about an hour before the repair bench reeled me back in. Ran it through my Fender Supersonic 22's clean channel (they say it's similar to the Deluxe and Vibrolux Reverb Reissues' circuits, so good but nothing spectacular LOL) with the combo's stock 12 (Eminence) and my Boogie vertical widebody 2x12 (75- and 100- watt Celestions) running piggyback. No other effects, even rolled the little Fender's reverb down to basically nothing.  

Before I offer my first impressions, let it be known I've never really been a Marshall guy, at least as an owner of a few (emphasis on "few") over the years. I'm not an expert on Marshalls, I haven't tried every type/wattage/etc. under the sun, and basically I love them on records and live in other guys' hands. But I haven't owned, borrowed, demo'ed or otherwise any Marshall that just knocked me on my ass with that pure cool tone I hear other guys get. Marshalls under my hands usually only knock me on my ass with brute volume haha.

All that said, I REALLY, REALLY like this pedal. It is on the money for what I have been trying to find. I was hitting that elusive-to-me British upper midrange voice, that signature throat pretty much wherever I rolled knobs. The thing that really caught me off guard was the response and feel of the guitar under my hands - I could literally "feel" a fast recoil under my hands, like the polar opposite of tube rectifier sag (the Supersonic is SS rectifer, so that likely helped). The pedal's boost switch adds a hint more throat in addition to volume, little louder AND little rounder. exactly what I want a boost switch to do.

This thing has an overwhelming shitload of knobs and switches for me at first glance (low/medium/high gain, variac simulator, presence on/off, three tightness voicings) but I was finding all kinds of usable things so I'll redefine that as versatility and run with it. I couldn't get a suck sound no matter how hard I tried. I was getting a low, droning hum when I was using it but that may have been my power source - I just grabbed a random 9V wallwart and ran with it. My Voodoo Labs brick may take care of that, I'll report back on it. But even if the drone hum stays, I'll put up with it, pedal sounds way too good to not take that salt with it if that's the case. The hum went off when I clicked the box to "off" so there's an easy fix for that haha.

I used two of my guitars with it. My parts tele with Rios sounded really good. But my '76 Les Paul Standard, particularly in the medium gain setting, sounded like the grace or the wrath of one's higher power, depending on how you caressed or attacked the strings. The more I cranked the amp and pushed the speakers, the more sweet and the more mad the LP got with and at me at the same time. I did this until my ears could not take the high volume anymore. Man, that shit hurt. My ears haven't rang like that since my rock gigging days.

In the high gain mode, it reminded me of Cajun Boy's Shiva driving his Marshall 4x12, again both the tone and the feel under your hands. And CB's Shiva is one of my favorite amps I've ever played through, so you know I'm happy there too.

I'd give it more than two thumbs up if I had more thumbs. Definitely worth a test-drive if you are in the market for this type of thing. It's not cheap, but it was cheaper than buying a Marshall or a Shiva and I kinda feel like I got both with my purchase, so I'm way ahead in my case. Money very well spent.

 

[HamerDave]

Sounds pretty cool. Happy to hear you like it. Maybe I'll have to check one out. ✌️

[velorush]

Bumping this because this hit my YouTube feed yesterday:

 

 

Wow!

[hamerhead]

Damn that sounds good. I don't need another pedal I don't need another pedal I don't need another pedal I don't need another pedal I don't need another pedal

[velorush]

17 hours ago, hamerhead said:

Damn that sounds good. I don't need another pedal I don't need another pedal I don't need another pedal I don't need another pedal I don't need another pedal

All this crazy good stuff just keeps coming out, seemingly, each better than the one before and I'm so tempted to buy. 

I just have to keep telling myself, "Kemper, Kemper, Kemper!"

[Carl.B]

Just checked GC used and they have one for $199 so you can save $50 bucks.

GC Used Bogner La Grange

 

[Jeff R]

I'm still in love with mine and I've probably have had a half dozen shop clients tell me they were going to shop one asap after test-driving mine. Still just the Bogner pedal feeding the Supersonic 22 combo, with the combo cab speaker bypassed and using the Boogie widebody vertical 2x12 in its place. Tuner in front, the SS's reverb (just a touch) and a second touch from a delay pedal in the loop, that's it. Really don't need anything else it sounds so nice.

My happy settings are right in the realm of Thorn's above. But some personal observations after running this thing daily for a half year:

* It sounds good with singles but it really, really, really loves being fed by humbuckers, regardless of the gain mode used. I guess that's just the way the pedal is voiced.

* Plan to use a vintage/classic output humbucker(s) if you use the variac switch in any gain mode. That variac switch detests, I mean HATES, high-output humbuckers, so much that low notes will belch/blurt horridly and very un-musically. The variac will only tolerate high output pickups if you dial the gain knob back to noon or less.