Product: Bogner Shiva 20th Anniversary
Price Paid: USD 2400
Submitted
09/28/2009
at
09:26pm
by
TexasShredder
Features
:
10
2 Channels, 2 modes per channel, clean boost, footswitchable
KT88's
Optional reverb
Effects loop
Master volume, presence
Expansion control for low volume playing
Sound Quality
:
10
What else would you expect from a Shiva with KT88's? Nothing short of incredible. I try not to give the most glowing reviews of amps, but when they're this impressive it's hard not to give it a 10.
First off, the amp is a pure tone machine. It's very warm and balanced sounding with a healthy low end. Plenty of cut if you want it. There are two tricks to dialing in this amp: 1. start off with EQ all set at 0, then add little by little. 2. The mid control is the key to dialing in great sounds.
This amp can get pretty brutal. It has much more overdrive than the Shiva, but it's not necessarily a metal amp. It's too organic, warm and toneful to be a pure metal machine. I'm sure you could dial it in that way with some EQ'ing and a pedal though.
I have a regular Shiva and an Uberschall rev blue to compare it to directly. I still love my Shiva just as much as the new one. The Uberschall is definitely more brutal, but also more forgiving than the Shiva 20th.
On regular mode, the Shiva 20th sounds pretty much like the Shiva. With the mode switch engaged, it starts getting that Kerry King JCM 800 kind of thing but more classy at lower gain settings so it's extremely versatile.
Just a great great amp all around. I have no complaints except that I wish I could afford another one.
Reliability
:
9
Footswitch crapped out on me within two days, but amp operates perfectly.
Customer Support
:
10
Support is great. I love it when you can pick up the phone and talk to the amp builders directly. Great guys over at Bogner.
Overall Rating
:
10
Nothing else to say. It's just an incredible amp.
