Academy Of Tone 299: Inside Bogner Amplification!
Special guest: Reinhold Bogner
00:00 Welcome 02:11 Spontaneous filming at Bogner Headquarters 03:30 Reinhold as the inventor of the 1x12 cabinet 04:14 Mutual respect and checking out the AmpX 06:28 Arrival at Bogner Amplification in North Hollywood 07:27 Production philosophy and the boutique approach 08:01 Lifespan of Bogner products and the new XTC100 09:01 Technical details: Circuit boards and components 10:21 The "myth of taste" and component flavors 11:28 Defining the Bogner sound: Natural and musical 12:50 Artists and the importance of a player's touch 14:37 Inside the assembly station and workflow 15:58 Quality control: Testing and burning in the amps 17:00 Exploring the facility: Head shells and loud testing 18:18 Discussing the Goldfinger amp design 18:58 Tube preferences: JJ, Svetlana, and reliability 22:01 The burn-in process for maximum reliability 22:48 Introducing the Uberschall Ultra 23:29 Shaping high-gain sounds and negative feedback 25:13 The history of the "Snorkeler" and the 1989 Marshall mod 26:05 Connection to Eddie Van Halen and Alice in Chains 27:52 Speaker cabinet R&D: Greenbacks vs. Vintage 30s 29:47 Collaborating with Kohle for modern metal tones 31:03 The search for character in a world of modeling 31:55 Iconic tones: Richie Blackmore and Gary Moore 34:35 Discussing 80s guitar legends and storytelling 37:09 First meeting in the 90s at Andy Brauer’s studio 38:31 Starting Bogner Amplification with $600 39:25 Thomas Blug’s history with Hughes & Kettner 41:44 Challenges in R&D: Being honest with management 46:03 The transition from Hughes & Kettner to BluGuitar 51:14 Equipment and tools: Amp switchers and accuracy 55:36 Finding the "Russian Guy" and the birth of BluGuitar technology 59:02 Market timing and the value of vintage gear 1:03:26 Life as a touring musician and the "Anarchy" band 1:08:19 Dealing with patents, legal battles, and hiding technology 1:12:39 Memories of the Bogner Fish preamp 1:15:04 Sourcing parts in the pre-internet era 1:19:07 Working for Aspen Pittman and the Trio preamp 1:21:23 Shared history: Civil service and the Red Cross days 1:26:42 Closing thoughts and AmpX demo preparation