GENERAL Questions

Always consult the owners manual for proper operation:

What does the warranty cover? To validate this warranty you must fill out the warranty registration form included with your amplifier purchase and mail this form with your authorized dealer's sales receipt to Bogner Amplification, you must include the sales receipt, copies accepted.

Bogner Amplifiers are covered under a warranty, which is provided by your country's Authorized Bogner Distributor, Dealer. If you purchase or use any of our amplifiers outside the market they were intended for, use a step-up or step-down transformer or tamper with the amplifier in any way, your warranty will be immediately invalidated and all repairs (parts and labor) will be your responsibility. Each repair is checked by serial number and under no circumstances will we provide warranty to anyone who has purchased their amplifier outside of their home market.
Limited Lifetime Warranty for US: New Bogner Amplifiers are lifetime warranted to the original purchaser against failure of parts/materials and workmanship if purchased through an authorized dealer. No other warranty applies. Tubes, transformers and speakers are warranted for a period of ninety days. This warranty applies only if the amplifier has not been damaged by accident, misuse or as a result of repair or modification. The use of non-authorized Bogner tubes and replacement parts may void this warranty. Bogner reserves the right to make any design changes without notice or obligation to incorporate these changes in products previously purchased. Outside the US the following restrictions apply: Products must be bought through authorized dealer/distributor in the country of use. Check with your Dealer - Distributor for warranty conditions as they might vary from country to country. Bogner is not liable for any freight or duty charges.

Can I buy an original Bogner Power Transformer to change the input voltage of my amplifier?

No, Bogner does not sell power transformers to change the input voltage of your amplifier. An exception might be made in a case where someone is the original owner for more then two years and is moving permanently to a country with a different voltage. Amplifiers should not be used outside the market they were intended for. If you choose to buy a new amplifier outside your home market please read above "What does the Warranty cover".

Return Authorization is required for all products returned to Bogner Amplification. In most cases we will be able to supply the technical information needed to repair the amplifier thus avoiding the shipping issues and costs. All shipping costs to/from Bogner are the owners responsibility, after 90 days of purchase. Bogner will be responsible for the factory-to-customer return shipping cost to the original owner for only the first 90 days of ownership. Authorized Returns should be shipped in the original Bogner box and original packing materials. A return packing/handling charge may be applied to any product shipped to Bogner in sub-standard or damaged shipping box and materials. This is to make sure your amplifier is packaged safely in a new box and to recover our costs for doing so. Since UPS doesn't honor damage claims for non-original packaging, Bogner is not responsible for any factory-to-customer return shipping damage to products shipped in non-original box and packing materials. A copy of the final Sales Receipt from an Authorized Bogner Dealer is required with this Warranty Registration.

I am an international customer how can I get assistance?

As an International customer we want to ensure that you receive the high level of customer service that you expect from us. Therefore, if you do feel you need assistance please ensure that you follow the method below. This will offer the shortest and easiest route to getting help.

1. Call the Bogner Dealer that you purchased your amplifier from. They could well take care of your problem in a matter of moments and should have supplies of tubes, fuses etc. These issues are something easily taken care of.
2. If your dealer is unable to help, call the Authorized Bogner Distributor in your country (you can find their details on our site). They have the technical staff and experience to assist. It is very rare that they will be unable to help you.
3. If you still unable to get the assistance you require or you feel you have a problem that the Distributor cannot resolve, contact us directly

Any International communications we receive are automatically sent through to the relevant Distributor, and will in turn (if necessary) be sent to the dealer your product came from if they have not been previously contacted, so you can certainly save yourself a lot of time by going to the right person in the first place. You can help us to serve you better by following our guidelines. It is very important to note that we will not reply directly to you unless you have already spoken to your Dealer
and Distributor.
If you live in a country without an Authorized Bogner Dealer/Distributor then please contact us directly and we will help you.

How long has BOGNER Amplification been around? Reinhold Bogner had been designing and building amplifiers long before leaving Germany in 1989. Moving to Los Angeles he quickly gained the trust of many influential players including: Steve Stevens, Dan Huff, Allan Holdsworth, Mike Landau and Steve Vai who sought out his skill at modifing and custom building their amps. Eddie Van Halen entrusted Reinhold to overhaul and revitalize Eddies #1 Marshall Plexi, Eddie was pleased. BOGNER AMPLIFICATION was born.

PC Board construction or Point To Point? Mary-Ann or Ginger? from Gilligan's Island, Godzilla or Mothra? Many a debate has taken place over these subjects but the "Information Cocktail" presented by Andy Marshall, President and CEO of THD Electronics, Ltd. www.thdelectronics.com is quite simply, stellar. Click here for Everything your mother never told you about "High Quality" PC Board construction...

How can I get my Bogner amp repaired? Return Authorization is required for all products returned to Bogner Amplification. In most cases we will be able to supply the technical information needed to repair the amplifier thus avoiding the shipping issues and costs. If we Authorize a return, include a detailed letter stating your problems and include return shipping address and phone number. Charges are: Minimum bench charge $60, Repairs $60/hr. Authorized Returns should be shipped in an original Bogner supplied box and packing materials. A return packing/handling charge may be applied to any product shipped to Bogner in sub-standard or damaged shipping box and materials. This is to make sure your amplifier is packaged safely in a new box and to recover our costs. Since UPS doesn't honor damage claims for non-original packaging, Bogner is not responsible for any factory-to-customer return shipping damage to products shipped in non-original box and packing materials. Not responsible for loss from theft, fire or flood damage. Storage fee of $5/day will be added to repaired amps not picked up after 30 days. Amps left over one year will be sold to recover costs incurred.

What kind of tubes? Is a rebias neccesary ? Matched sets of C-Wing Svetlana SED power-tubes must be used in SHIVAS. Ecstasy and Uberschall amps can be used with Tesla or C-Wing Svetlans SED power-tubes. As always biasing these tubes is a good idea for optimum tone. Svetlanas hold up well to our high voltages and sound great. The METROPOLIS amps are Cathode bias so no bias is needed.

Can I purchase a headshell? Yes, we provide headshells for customers who would like to replace their shells or would like to make heads out of their combo amplifiers.

Are padded covers available? Yes for some products, however stock is limited.

Can I get casters for my amp? Yes, removable casters that slide in/out of the their base plate.

Can I use a power attenuator? Yes.

Can I get a CAVEMAN owners manual? Yes, follow this link: Caveman Manual

ECSTASY Questions

Always consult the owners manual for proper operation:

Can I put a metal grill on my existing non-metal grill head? No, each grill attaches differently.

Sound difference between EL34 and 6L6 tubes in the ECSTASY? The EL34 "101B" has a tighter sound on the low end and more midrange. Perfect for that classic British rock tone with it's aggressive bite. 6L6 versions have a rounder low end and more high end extension. The 6L6 is great for bluesy, rootsy players. Both feature plenty of gain and effortless sustain.

Can I get the variac option? No, this option is no longer offered.

Is a power attenuator OK? Yes.

What is the series-parallel loop? First, the effects loop is tube driven. When you run the loop in series, your signal goes directly from the preamp thru your effects unit and then into the poweramp. This is the easiest way to run effects units. The potential drawback is: the effect unit may color/degrade your tone and your tone will not be true. Running the loop in parallel allows a dry/uneffected signal to be mixed with an effected signal thru use of the mix control on the back panel. This allows you to blend the effects into your sound. Keep in mind if you use the parallel mode, you will need to run the "effect level" of your effect alot higher. Also, on all of our loops, your channel volume is the effect loop send level. If your signal is too hot, turn down the your channel volume and increase the master volume level, this is your poweramp return level. Also, most pedal effects work in the loop of the ECSTASY if your channel volume is about 10 o'clock or lower.

If I use the 1/2 power function do I have to change my speaker impedance settings? Yes, your output transformer is seeing a different impedance. Position the ohm selector at 1/2 the ohms of your speaker cabinet. Example, if your cabinet is 16-ohms you must position the ohm selector to read 8-ohms during 1/2 power operation. Keep in mind, the minimum ohm load on the ECSTASY is 4-ohms so at 1/2 power the lowest rated cabinet you can use is 8-ohms.

How does Class-A option affect the amp? This option makes the amps attack feel a bit squishy, more sag (compression) Great for adding a vintage feel.

Will the XTC be too loud in a club? No, the taper on our volume control is very smooth and allows exact placement to blend in the mix perfectly. Also, the 1/2 power function is great for getting huge tone in small to large rooms. Unlike many high-power amplifiers the ECSTASY sounds rich and full at all volume levels.

What is the MEDUSA Cable? It's our standard footswitch cable that terminates with seven quarter-inch plugs that allow you to plug into a midi switching system. This allows you complete control on all your footswitch functions. The ECSTASY and the Medusa are not midi, the Medusa Cable allows you to interface with this type of set-up. A midi switching set-up allows you to control many functions all at the same instant... for example: change channels, change effects all with one button. See your dealer for more info on these midi systems.

Can I get my amp modded for more gain? Adding more gain will sacrifice definition and add slightly more compression to the feel. We feel the best balance of tone/feel has been engineered into the stock design. We do offer a gain mod to the red channel that we charge $150 for. If extreme gain is what your after, check out our UBERSCHALL amplifier.
Please note from 2004 on this mod is standard in all Ecstasy's.

How can I get my Bogner amp repaired? Return Authorization is required for all products returned to Bogner Amplification. In most cases we will be able to supply the technical information needed to repair the amplifier thus avoiding the shipping issues and costs. If we Authorize a return, include a detailed letter stating your problems and include return shipping address and phone number. Charges are: Minimum bench charge $60, Repairs $60/hr. Authorized Returns should be shipped in an original Bogner supplied box and packing materials. A return packing/handling charge may be applied to any product shipped to Bogner in sub-standard or damaged shipping box and materials. This is to make sure your amplifier is packaged safely in a new box and to recover our costs. Since UPS doesn't honor damage claims for non-original packaging, Bogner is not responsible for any factory-to-customer return shipping damage to products shipped in non-original box and packing materials. Not responsible for loss from theft, fire or flood damage. Storage fee of $5/day will be added to repaired amps not picked up after 30 days. Amps left over one year will be sold to recover costs incurred.

Tonal differences in SHIVA 6L6 vs. SHIVA EL34 models? The 80 watt EL34 has a tighter sound on the low end and more midrange. Perfect for that classic British rock tone with it's aggressive bite. The 60 watt 6L6 versions have a rounder low end and a touch more high end extension. The 6L6 is great for bluesy, rootsy players. Since the 6L6 has less watts it will tend to compress the low end sooner while the EL34 will stay a bit tighter longer.

Sonic differences in SHIVA Combo's 1x12" , 2x12", 2x10" speaker enclosures? All of our SHIVA amps come with the same chassis- either EL34 or 6L6 tubes. 1x12" Combo has a big tight sound with alot of low end punch from a Celestion Classic 80 speaker. 2x12" Combo has more of an open sound with sweet mids from the open back design. 2x10" Combo has a quick and responsive bass response.

Can I add reverb to my non-reverb Shiva? No.

Why does the level go down slightly when I engage the reverb? Turning the reverb on/off actually adds the reverb circuit in/out. When off the signal is pure, no loading down from the reverb circuit just as if the amp had no reverb. Most reverb amps always have the reverb circuit on even though the reverb effect is turned off, this is loading down the pure tone of the amp. We keep it pure.

Using the Shiva without the footswitch: If your Shiva has a rotary channel selector on the back panel you be able to switch through the channels without the footswitch. Prior to 2005 read further:
Some people may not need to use their footswitch because they only need one channel to play thru. The Shiva defaults to the Clean channel with the Reverb on when no footswitch is plugged in, however to activate the High gain channel without using the footswitch you have two options: First option, plug in a "shorted" mono 1/4" instrument plug, this will give you the High gain channel with the Boost function engaged as well. Second option: plug in a "shorted" stereo 1/4" instrument plug, this will give you the High gain channel without the Boost function. Shorted means the tip and sleeve/ground are connected, using a "right-angle" plug is a good idea also since it has a low profile and will not protude out from the amp chassis very much. Also you can easily short the 1/4" plug internally, just solder a jumper between the two contacts.

What kind of tubes? Is a re-bias neccesary? Matched sets of C-Wing Svetlana SED power-tubes must be used in SHIVAS. As always biasing these tubes is a good idea for optimum tone. Svetlanas hold up well to our high voltages and sound great.

Can I make my head a combo or vice-versa? Yes, the same chassis fits in the combo or head versions. We offer shells.

How many ohms is my internal 1x12" speaker? Internal speakers are 8 ohms for the 1x12" combos.

How can I get my Bogner amp repaired? Return Authorization is required for all products returned to Bogner Amplification. In most cases we will be able to supply the technical information needed to repair the amplifier thus avoiding the shipping issues and costs. If we Authorize a return, include a detailed letter stating your problems and include return shipping address and phone number. Charges are: Minimum bench charge $60, Repairs $60/hr. Authorized Returns should be shipped in an original Bogner supplied box and packing materials. A return packing/handling charge may be applied to any product shipped to Bogner in sub-standard or damaged shipping box and materials. This is to make sure your amplifier is packaged safely in a new box and to recover our costs. Since UPS doesn't honor damage claims for non-original packaging, Bogner is not responsible for any factory-to-customer return shipping damage to products shipped in non-original box and packing materials. Not responsible for loss from theft, fire or flood damage. Storage fee of $5/day will be added to repaired amps not picked up after 30 days. Amps left over one year will be sold to recover costs incurred.

METROPOLIS Questions

Always consult the owners manual for proper operation:

Why does the master volume on my METROPOLIS react differently? The amp was designed so when the master volume is turned up all the way it doesn't degrade the tone. The compromise is that to achieve very low volumes is a bit difficult.

Why does my METROPOLIS not have a stand-by switch? The design goal of this amplifier was to make a single channel pure tone machine. Having a GZ34/5AR4 rectifier tube allows the plate voltage to rise slowly, there by not stressing the EL84 power tubes.

Can I add reverb to my non-reverb Metropolis? No.

What kind of tubes? Is a rebias neccesary? The Metropolis is cathode biased so no adjustment is neccesary. We recomend matched Sovtec or Tesla EL84.

How can I get my Bogner amp repaired? Return Authorization is required for all products returned to Bogner Amplification. In most cases we will be able to supply the technical information needed to repair the amplifier thus avoiding the shipping issues and costs. If we Authorize a return, include a detailed letter stating your problems and include return shipping address and phone number. Charges are: Minimum bench charge $60, Repairs $60/hr. Authorized Returns should be shipped in an original Bogner supplied box and packing materials. A return packing/handling charge may be applied to any product shipped to Bogner in sub-standard or damaged shipping box and materials. This is to make sure your amplifier is packaged safely in a new box and to recover our costs. Since UPS doesn't honor damage claims for non-original packaging, Bogner is not responsible for any factory-to-customer return shipping damage to products shipped in non-original box and packing materials. Not responsible for loss from theft, fire or flood damage. Storage fee of $5/day will be added to repaired amps not picked up after 30 days. Amps left over one year will be sold to recover costs incurred.

UBERSCHALL Questions

Always consult the owners manual for proper operation:

Why does my clean channel level need to be turned up so high? The clean channel is competing against a very open, high gain 2nd channel. You must turn up the clean channel levels to keep in balance, this is normal.

How do I clean up the high-gain channel? The UBERSCHALL is a brutal amp! Imagine a Ferrari stuck in 6th gear, going 212 mph, and slamming into a nuclear reactor! This is how the UBERSCHALL sounds even before you turn it on... Experiment with the interaction of the three volumes: global, channel vol.and channel gain. For less gain try keeping the channel gain way down and cranking the channel volume up to get the level of volume you need, then use the global volume to get the final amp level. If you need less gain consider one of our other amplifier models.

Can I put a metal grill on my existing non-metal grill head? No, each grill attaches differently.

No Sound? Make sure your FX loop button on the amp chassis (out position on FX button on chassis) or footswitch is disengaged if NO effects are being used.

Can I use pedals in the loop? The loop in the UBERSCHALL is a series loop made with rack effects in mind but you can use pedals in the loop if you set your channel volume on the high gain (channel 2) at 8 o'clock or so.Turn up the global master volume if you need more volume. Keep in mind your channel volumes are your effect loop send levels, so the louder your channel level is the hotter the send level.

What kind of tubes? Is a re-bias neccesary? Matched sets of Tesla (stock) or C-Wing Svetlana SED are recomended. As always biasing these tubes is a good idea for optimum tone.

How can I get my Bogner amp repaired? Return Authorization is required for all products returned to Bogner Amplification. In most cases we will be able to supply the technical information needed to repair the amplifier thus avoiding the shipping issues and costs. If we Authorize a return, include a detailed letter stating your problems and include return shipping address and phone number. Charges are: Minimum bench charge $60, Repairs $60/hr. Authorized Returns should be shipped in an original Bogner supplied box and packing materials. A return packing/handling charge may be applied to any product shipped to Bogner in sub-standard or damaged shipping box and materials. This is to make sure your amplifier is packaged safely in a new box and to recover our costs. Since UPS doesn't honor damage claims for non-original packaging, Bogner is not responsible for any factory-to-customer return shipping damage to products shipped in non-original box and packing materials. Not responsible for loss from theft, fire or flood damage. Storage fee of $5/day will be added to repaired amps not picked up after 30 days. Amps left over one year will be sold to recover costs incurred.