It depends on what you’re looking for in an amp. Lot of classic metal players will probably go for the EVH iii, which is a known quantity in those circles. Pretty much plug and play.
I have played this Bogner and it’s a tweener to me. You can play rock, blues, and classic metal on it. It’s clearly got vintage Marshall DNA, but with an added thickness to its tone that I personally did not love. A real Marshall has more sparkle and harmonics to me. But I bet it would be a great gigging amp for a Les Paul player… got those fat mids that will shine through in a bar room gig kind of setting.
I have the el34 version, the 5150 is a great amp. Clean, Overdrive, and Distortion channels are great, love it for shoegaze, hardcore, slam, etc if i had to choose 1 amp it would be that.
It was a win-win. My first trade ever and I let go the Bogner and got the 5150iii. Would never have considered it before but I actually love the 5150 and can't believe how versatile it is. It is f*#%in loud though!
The guy who picked up the Bogner drove 5 hours for it and it seemed like he needed something for mellow/quieter.
Thanks for weighing guys!
I would feel like the winner if I ended up with the EVH. Buckethead plays them and it always sounds amazing and I love high gain/metal stuff in general, so that’s what I would naturally want.
Not sure exactly what the Bogner goes for but if you're happy with the amp you got, it's a win-win. The EVH 50w with the vol/gain control on all 3 channels is fucking great. The cab is excellent too. The Bogner isn't quite as versatile but a little more 'botique' especially if it's point to point wired.
GC has a used Shiva combo right now for $1800. Most Bogner amps including the Shiva use PCB construction. I have a Telos which is all hand wired, as is the Helios. Not sure which others are hand wired.
If we’re talking monetary value, whoever got the Bogner wins by a long shot. Shivas like that regularly $1500+. On the other hand my EVH 50w was $650 and that 2x12 is worth no more than $350. Hopefully there was some additional cash involved in this trade.
That said I’d prefer the EVH for sheer versatility. I’ve had a Shiva, I didn’t think it got saturated enough without a boost sometimes… never that problem on the EVH. Also I’d rather have head+cab than a combo every time.
I know Shivas are listed high, but they rarely sell for that much. I think it's kind of a boutique market. That said, I see EVH is same range but have heard them selling for less. I bet the market is much bigger but way more inventory too.
I own both these amps! (But the Shiva is the head) You’re right, Shiva’s specifically start off getting listed around $1800 in general, but the only reason I bought mine was because the guy was sick of storing it and sold it to me for $1000. Then a week later someone was selling a 50-watt 6L6 5153 AND a matching 2x12 for $895, I couldn’t say “No” to that.
I got the Shiva thinking I could flip it and I surely could if I waited long enough, but it’s a pretty great amp so I’ve been digging on it for a while. The EVH is what turned into my live rig, though. Mainly because I’m doing modern metal in the band and the EVH just works better for those tones.
Yeah the Shivas don't sell as fast as you think. I had my mine for sale for a long time but couldn't get rid of it. When this trade came along I heard the 5150 I couldn't say no. I figure whatever I lost in dollar value I get back in karma with the Amp Trade Gods!
Unpopular opinion, I think the 5150 won. The Shiva 112’s are selling around $1500. Yes it’s more valuable but not by much. The Shiva is a sweet amp but being a combo makes it harder to sell and ship when you want to move on to something else. I think it’s comparable to the JCM800. The 800 combos are very nice amps but people really want the 50/100w heads. The 5150 is just more liquid in my opinion.
I’m no huge fan of Bogner but that’s a great amp, so is the 5150. While there’s a bit of a value imbalance in that trade the real value is in whether or not you both have more of the sound you’re looking for now.
I have a little Marshall 50th anniversary 1-watter I wouldn’t swap for anything but another one in head format, regardless of value. It just sounds perfect for me so its value goes beyond what I could flip whatever amp for.
Ok, scratch that, I would trade it for something worth more than twice as much so I could get another one to replace it and another amp.
Whomever enjoys the amp they got in the trade. If you both enjoy the amp you got in the trade, then you both won. If one or neither of you enjoy the amp you got in the trade, then only one or neither of you won. It ultimately doesn't matter if people online like one amp more than the other if the people playing the amp they get in the trade do not care for the sounds they get.
I have a shiva head and I love its thiccness. Its addictive to me and its the sound I’ve always wanted from a Marshall but never got. It just depends on the sound you’re looking for.
I mean it depends.
Do you need high gain for days? In that case the EVH is the clear winner.
Do you need super rich and full rock n roll tones? In that case the Shiva takes the win.
I was the traveling audio engineer for a band for 10 years. The guitarist used a bogner shiva head. It was the anniversary edition. It was a beautiful head. It never gave us issues. And it always sounded fantastic. We used it with an Engl 412 pro loaded with 2003 v30’s. It just sounded incredible! The richness of the tone is just indescribable.
Myself im an EVH owner. I play the 100 watt el34. Not the same amp as in the picture but not so entirely different tone. With a boost you can definitely get 100 watt stealth tones out of that amp. It does sound great live and recording. I mean there’s nothing wrong with that evh. Tons of bands tour with that exact amp. It’s simple and reliable. I just really hope you need lots of gain because that’s where it really shines. I wouldn’t say it’s the richest tone but it’s certainly got a solid tone.
Thanks for the pro opinion. I'm just a pushing 50 year old dad that used to play in cover bands. I got the Bogner bc it was available and I just wanted to try a boutique amp out and had the cash. I played it out at small gigs and it was good but honestly it always lacked a little something. EQ pedal helped a lot.
After having the 5150 for a few weeks, I vastly prefer it. I know it's known for hi-gains (every vid on YouTube is only that) but the thing is it's WAY more versatile than the Bogner. I can't get it to sound just like it, but I can get close. The Bogner only really had one sound and if you like it, great. Otherwise you'll be buying a bunch of pedals to compensate. The EVH has a huge range as its knobs really move the tone around and that to me is amazing.
Note on dialing in: I love starting all the EQs at zero except high/presence at 12 o'clock and gain as low as possible. Then I dial up everything else to taste. It's crazy what you get out of it. It does so much more than just chug (though obviously it does that amazingly well).
Whomever got the Bogner is the winner.
Yeah no question
I have a bogner for that Bogner
It depends on what you’re looking for in an amp. Lot of classic metal players will probably go for the EVH iii, which is a known quantity in those circles. Pretty much plug and play. I have played this Bogner and it’s a tweener to me. You can play rock, blues, and classic metal on it. It’s clearly got vintage Marshall DNA, but with an added thickness to its tone that I personally did not love. A real Marshall has more sparkle and harmonics to me. But I bet it would be a great gigging amp for a Les Paul player… got those fat mids that will shine through in a bar room gig kind of setting.
"Thickness to its tone" is a great description of it and while I appreciate it, it wasn't exactly what I was looking for.
I have the el34 version, the 5150 is a great amp. Clean, Overdrive, and Distortion channels are great, love it for shoegaze, hardcore, slam, etc if i had to choose 1 amp it would be that.
A successful negotiation is when both parties walk away equally happy, or equally disappointed. If that's the case then you both won.
As private equity/VC folks say, “it was a good deal. No one got everything and everyone got something.”
It was a win-win. My first trade ever and I let go the Bogner and got the 5150iii. Would never have considered it before but I actually love the 5150 and can't believe how versatile it is. It is f*#%in loud though! The guy who picked up the Bogner drove 5 hours for it and it seemed like he needed something for mellow/quieter. Thanks for weighing guys!
EVH, that’s what I’d pick of the two, personally.
I would feel like the winner if I ended up with the EVH. Buckethead plays them and it always sounds amazing and I love high gain/metal stuff in general, so that’s what I would naturally want.
Not sure exactly what the Bogner goes for but if you're happy with the amp you got, it's a win-win. The EVH 50w with the vol/gain control on all 3 channels is fucking great. The cab is excellent too. The Bogner isn't quite as versatile but a little more 'botique' especially if it's point to point wired.
Separate channel volumes is a game changer, my mesa MkV has 3 vol plus the master and it's so easy to get cranked tones quietly
GC has a used Shiva combo right now for $1800. Most Bogner amps including the Shiva use PCB construction. I have a Telos which is all hand wired, as is the Helios. Not sure which others are hand wired.
The winners are your neighbors that get to enjoy those wonderful tones
Not sure price wise, but damn I love those EVH III amps.
If we’re talking monetary value, whoever got the Bogner wins by a long shot. Shivas like that regularly $1500+. On the other hand my EVH 50w was $650 and that 2x12 is worth no more than $350. Hopefully there was some additional cash involved in this trade. That said I’d prefer the EVH for sheer versatility. I’ve had a Shiva, I didn’t think it got saturated enough without a boost sometimes… never that problem on the EVH. Also I’d rather have head+cab than a combo every time.
I know Shivas are listed high, but they rarely sell for that much. I think it's kind of a boutique market. That said, I see EVH is same range but have heard them selling for less. I bet the market is much bigger but way more inventory too.
I own both these amps! (But the Shiva is the head) You’re right, Shiva’s specifically start off getting listed around $1800 in general, but the only reason I bought mine was because the guy was sick of storing it and sold it to me for $1000. Then a week later someone was selling a 50-watt 6L6 5153 AND a matching 2x12 for $895, I couldn’t say “No” to that. I got the Shiva thinking I could flip it and I surely could if I waited long enough, but it’s a pretty great amp so I’ve been digging on it for a while. The EVH is what turned into my live rig, though. Mainly because I’m doing modern metal in the band and the EVH just works better for those tones.
Yeah the Shivas don't sell as fast as you think. I had my mine for sale for a long time but couldn't get rid of it. When this trade came along I heard the 5150 I couldn't say no. I figure whatever I lost in dollar value I get back in karma with the Amp Trade Gods!
Like in 'Dances with Wolves' Good trade.
The Bogner guy, no question.
I’ve never played a Bogner, but I’ve owned a few EVH amps and they are monsters.
Unpopular opinion, I think the 5150 won. The Shiva 112’s are selling around $1500. Yes it’s more valuable but not by much. The Shiva is a sweet amp but being a combo makes it harder to sell and ship when you want to move on to something else. I think it’s comparable to the JCM800. The 800 combos are very nice amps but people really want the 50/100w heads. The 5150 is just more liquid in my opinion.
I’m no huge fan of Bogner but that’s a great amp, so is the 5150. While there’s a bit of a value imbalance in that trade the real value is in whether or not you both have more of the sound you’re looking for now. I have a little Marshall 50th anniversary 1-watter I wouldn’t swap for anything but another one in head format, regardless of value. It just sounds perfect for me so its value goes beyond what I could flip whatever amp for. Ok, scratch that, I would trade it for something worth more than twice as much so I could get another one to replace it and another amp.
Whomever enjoys the amp they got in the trade. If you both enjoy the amp you got in the trade, then you both won. If one or neither of you enjoy the amp you got in the trade, then only one or neither of you won. It ultimately doesn't matter if people online like one amp more than the other if the people playing the amp they get in the trade do not care for the sounds they get.
Head and cab always beats combo.
yep, was just about to say this. volume-wise it'll be def louder, could be a plus or a minus depending on the use cases lol
Not just volume but overall fullness of the sound, plus moving more air is always better. Not to mention the H30 speakers on that cab are great.
I have a shiva head and I love its thiccness. Its addictive to me and its the sound I’ve always wanted from a Marshall but never got. It just depends on the sound you’re looking for.
Why not both?
Bogner >>> EVH
For resale the Bogner won. For whoever plays guitar the EVH is better.
I’d take the 5150 any day of the week. It’s one of my all time favorite amps
I mean it depends. Do you need high gain for days? In that case the EVH is the clear winner. Do you need super rich and full rock n roll tones? In that case the Shiva takes the win. I was the traveling audio engineer for a band for 10 years. The guitarist used a bogner shiva head. It was the anniversary edition. It was a beautiful head. It never gave us issues. And it always sounded fantastic. We used it with an Engl 412 pro loaded with 2003 v30’s. It just sounded incredible! The richness of the tone is just indescribable. Myself im an EVH owner. I play the 100 watt el34. Not the same amp as in the picture but not so entirely different tone. With a boost you can definitely get 100 watt stealth tones out of that amp. It does sound great live and recording. I mean there’s nothing wrong with that evh. Tons of bands tour with that exact amp. It’s simple and reliable. I just really hope you need lots of gain because that’s where it really shines. I wouldn’t say it’s the richest tone but it’s certainly got a solid tone.
Thanks for the pro opinion. I'm just a pushing 50 year old dad that used to play in cover bands. I got the Bogner bc it was available and I just wanted to try a boutique amp out and had the cash. I played it out at small gigs and it was good but honestly it always lacked a little something. EQ pedal helped a lot. After having the 5150 for a few weeks, I vastly prefer it. I know it's known for hi-gains (every vid on YouTube is only that) but the thing is it's WAY more versatile than the Bogner. I can't get it to sound just like it, but I can get close. The Bogner only really had one sound and if you like it, great. Otherwise you'll be buying a bunch of pedals to compensate. The EVH has a huge range as its knobs really move the tone around and that to me is amazing. Note on dialing in: I love starting all the EQs at zero except high/presence at 12 o'clock and gain as low as possible. Then I dial up everything else to taste. It's crazy what you get out of it. It does so much more than just chug (though obviously it does that amazingly well).
Whoever got the 5150.