Bogner Alchemist 112 Combo

(Originally written by Nico66/translated from Audiofanzine FR)
* Combo with one 12" speaker and open cabinet.

* Class A AB power amp section (6L6) and preamp stage with five 12AX7 tubes. 20 or 40 watt operation.

* Channel 1 (gold): Gain, treble, mid, bass, volume, crunch and bright controls plus deep selector.

* Channel 2 (mercury): Gain, treble, mid, bass, volume, bright and mid shift controls.

* Parallel effects: Reverb type, reverb level, delay type, delay level, delay repeats (feedback) and tap tempo.

* High-quality Celestion® speaker

* Four-button footswitch included. Functions: channel selection, boost, delay and reverb.

Very convenient: Bogner quality preamp and amp stages. It's very appealing...

Delay and reverb effects were conceived by Line 6. Also promising...

Good manufacturing quality.

Excellent-quality controls and switches.

It's a serious product.

UTILIZATION

Very easy configuration... First, I tried out the clean channel with all controls at 12 o'clock... Very warm sound reminding me of an old Marshall... Cool. I fine tuned the settings and got bright mids. It's like magic!

Then I tried out the crunch sound with all controls at 12 o'clock... What a delight!!! I forgot to mention that I tested the 20 watts operating mode (40 watts are too much for me and it would force me to never turn the volume control beyond the first quarter, which makes it uninteresting!!!).

And the crunch sound is already loud with the gain at 9 o'clock... I played a Clapton Strat to test it and it was wonderful... In this mode the amp produces a clean sound and the saturation comes from your fingers... it's almost as if you would play with two amps: a clean amp and a cranked 5 watt amp!

It's terrific.

The mercury channel is mind blowing...

It sounds like a cranked old Jubilee Marshall, Soldano or Plexi... It's neither a US nor a British sound, it's more like both at the same time... It's simply magical, extremely powerful and it reminds me the first Bogner I tested!!!

I didn't look at the user's manual...

SOUNDS

- Does it fit your music style?

I play pop and soft rock and the amp is perfect for this music!

- Which guitar, bass or effects do you use?

I tested it with a Clapton Strato and the sound was great... I can't wait to play it with my Strat Custom shop and my PRS 513. I think it will be an explosive cocktail!!

- What kind of sounds do you get and which settings do you use ("crystal-clear", "fat", ...)?

I didn't have enough time to play it: the shop assistant kicked me out of the store after one hour... (it's the minimum for such an amp!!!)

- Which sounds do you prefer / hate?

Everything sounds good!

OVERALL OPINION

- How long have you been using it?

I tested it at a shop for one hour and I didn't play my own guitar... But I didn't want to stop!!

- Which features do you like the most / the least?

No cons... Quality, beauty, high-class manufacturing, quality, Bogner sound!!

Considering the price, it's ten times better than a Marshall!!!

I give it an 8 because it's a pity that you have to choose between such nice clean and crunch sounds!

A third channel would have been useful... With such great clean and crunch sounds Mr Bogner ought to make two independent channels instead of a switchable one! But it's only a switch... It can be customized!

- Did you try any other models before buying it?

Yes!! But so many that I can't list them all here.

- How would you rate its value for money?

Amazing... I owned a Spider valve and kept it only one week because I hated it! But this amp is a Bogner and Line 6 only added three reverbs (good quality) and an editable delay.

You'll quickly get a killer sound!!

This amp provides a high quality sound... One hour is not enough so I ordered it yesterday!!! I can't wait to get it!!!

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I got it last Thursday and I don't want to change a single word of what I wrote. This amp is a bomb!

It's switchable 40w 20w in to play apart is better. Two channels, clear, saturated + boost foot for each channel. A rverb and DLAI or bundled, the rglages in shambles. HP V30 clestion A reference and a rather large box that gives good bass prsentes. The lamps are Pramp EH 12AX7 (I think some of the best and those of 6L6GC power of ruby). The whole exudes srieux and solidity.

USE

Many rglages but a good sound is easy to find. No need 50 pedals. You plug and it sounds, whether is be clear that saturated. power is more than enough to play a group.

SONORITS

We come to the best. The clean channel can be crystalline or rounder following the guitar being used. By enticing a little gain there is a round and warm blues will do wonders. Following the rglages can also get a beautiful crunch worthy of the fender and other vox.Les nuances will be well prsentes following the attack of mdiator.

The saturated while the channel is the best of the best. We begin with a nice crunch that bluesman love and following the gain we arrive to the large rock that task. A AC gain background sends wood moi.En believe lowering the volume of the guitar we return to a bluesy sound of all beauty. All styles are possible except Mtal (but with good pedal gonna do it). The boost adds some volume but most of the gain. Ideal for leads. The rverb is effective and gives a warm DLAY hyper sound on almost say analog.
I play the big rock with my band and Bogner is gnialissime !!!


NOTICE GLOBAL

I'm not with my purchase. I played on a lot of lamp amp (Peavey Classic 30, fender hot rod, ENGL screamer, mesa boogie) and I have tried several before I purchase marshall haze: none, Fender Deluxe VM good sound clear, but that's it. The Bogner it all and it is a choice to consider in buying a good amp lamps.

Amp Lamps
40 watts switchable to 20.
5x 12AX7 in preamp
2x 6L6 amp in
The HP is a 12 inch Celestion Greenback
A parallel effects loop
2 channels with 2 modes each is 4 "sounds" different
- Gold (Clean / Crunch) with Bright and Deep Switches (treble + / + trunk and low)
- Mercury (saturated / saturated + punch) with switches and bright midshift (+ tweeter / Mediums dug)
Everyone has gain controls, bass, mid, treble and volume
They share a digital reverb with three modes (Plate, Spring and Hall) and a delay with 3 modes also (Duck, Analog, Tape) signed, Line 6.
There is a tap tempo and a knob for the delay and a knob for the reverb.
The footswitch allows you to change the channel to engage the boost, to activate the reverb and delay.
It is independent of the amplifier and connects with an XLR cable, which is a very good point because the cables directly attached to a footswitch tend to deteriorate or even break away and complicate the arrangements.

UTILIZATION

It is convenient and easy to use.
The manual is fine, it's Line 6, pros-friendly manual.
Oh ... and it's a matter of taste but I like his aesthetic, like an old radio but with modern bright points on the web that protects the HP, it's cute

SOUNDS

First, as with all my opinion, I'll try to be as objective as possible. I have 4 amps, so multiple comparison tools, and have the chance to play regularly on a lot of different amps.
I also tried it with several guitars, cheap to the custom shop, single coils and humbuckers, active and passive pickups etc etc ... (See list of my gear). It gives the following:

The ITS CLEAR is correct, nothing more.
It is true that before I had a Twin Amp that when he was willing to walk, had no chest pain. In defense of Bogner of interest here, the Twin Amp was a 2X12.

The ITS GOLD CRUNCH channel is very interesting. It reminds me of a fender bassman or early driven to desperation. It is unfortunate that we have access only a tiny switch on the front and not the foot but may be this was not feasible. We could have had a false 3 channel very useful in concert.

CHANNEL MERCURY is very good. It is without hesitation think his "real" Bogner. Earnings do not bleed too much, even at the bottom, just enough for us to feel comfortable with our Legato rock
Please note, this amp is not Ultra High Gain, the metalheads will be somewhat restrained. The sound is too thin and too tight for this style of music. We can pretend to have all but made for this amp.

At home it is a treat, even at low volume.

LIVE is something else. Even through all mediums thoroughly down low, we do not hear much. It's the same problem as the Mesa F50 and F30 and it's very frustrating. This is not a problem of quantity but of clarity because the amp is powerful but it does not allow the guitar to leave the group. Worse, he drives it deep in the mix.

On all channels, the Alchemist is quite subtle and reacts very well to the shots picks. We can realize the videos posted on youtube by the manufacturer, which revealed quite faithfully the sound of the combo transplanted by microphones.

The reverb and delay, even modeling, are excellent and not at all unnecessary on this type of amp. Ok, it's not as organic as a real tape delay or a reverb springs but at least we avoid the disadvantages (read my opinion on the twin amp).

OVERALL OPINION

Finally it's made in China and it is not bad.
I do not know if it will take time but it's been two years since I have and I never had to complain (unlike some American brands, with products made in USA made, read my other reviews).

It was still a few flaws:
- The pots too close to each other (there grows often inadvertently)
- 2-channel only (although we might be able to make a fake 3-channel, or even 4)
- No tap tempo foot (shame that)
- No activation loop effect at the foot
- A little too wide, it is more portable amps, but maybe it's a blessing in disguise, cabinet protecting the rest.
- The largest least live a popping sound that is not out of the mix.

The price / quality ratio is still excellent, its prices have fallen sharply, he deserves throws one ear.
It is very affordable and does a remarkable first tube amp for an amp amateurs and serious and not expensive for the professional.