Royal Atlantic too much like a Bogner Shiva???

hey guys! I have a PWE Event Horizon and 20th Anniversary EL34 Bogner Shiva. I have struggled to find the right Boogie for me over the years. I don't like lots of switches so I skipped the Mark V and sold my new Dual Rec because I never need three channels nor all the options, I just want to plug and play. The Electradyne is the closest I have found to the Boogie for me but it struggles a bit at low volumes so I checked out the Royal and really like it, plus it sounds great at lower volumes.
I compared it to a few Splawn Quickrods because I love Marshalls and the Splawn is supposed to be unreal but I am starting to think they are too bright for my tastes and speakers which are mostly V30s.
So I am leaning toward the Royal as the next purchase in a year.....unless I can afford to grab something like an Elmwood Modena but I am trying to steer clear of the too high priced small amp makers, and stick to the more mainstream and more affordable guys/

So, with that....my main amp is the 20th Bogner Shiva. Do you guys think the Royal is too close? I think it can do some things the 20th Shiva can't plus Mesas all have some distinctive characterists so I am tempted to make the move.

Thanks!

I was a previous owner of and ED 112 combo for about 8 months. I liked the sounds achievable, but wasn't able to set it for nice footswitchable clean, crunch and high gain lead sounds which was important to me.

Several of us haven't even seen an RA yet, let alone play through one! My limited understanding is that the ED and RA are "different amps", but I do like the fact that the RA offers its own dedicated clean channel moreso than any of its other tempting features compared to the Dyne IMO.

I also haven't had the opportunity to play through a 20th anniversary Shiva either for that matter, but would love to....lucky you!!

Personally, I own a MkV which I find to be fantastic for a wide variety of great sounds and is my number 1 choice for playing live. Yes, there is a learning curve with the V, but not as much as you might think. I found it fairly easy to dial in great sounds out of each channel upon ownership. After that....the sky is the limit with this amp.

I also own a TA30 112 combo which for me is my preferred amp for vintage clean, mid gain cleans and nice vintage crunch sounds. It even sounds very nice for some vintage high gain lead sounds in H1 mode of Ch2 FWIW. Please keep in mind that I am talking "vintage" sounds with my TA30 not modern.

I apologize for not providing any real insight to your post question because I don't have any experience with either of these amps. I just thought that I'd give you some thoughts regarding MB amps that I do currently own and enjoy playing very much.

By all means, the best thing to do is to play through all amps that you are considering prior to purchase if possible....no doubt.

Which Boogie amp (or other brand amp) is best for you? I have no idea.....only you can decide.

Best of luck in your amp quest!!

I own both amps, well the traditional Shiva (6L6) not the 20th. But I've owned the XTC Classic, and that's where I believe the tonal similarities exist with the RA100, not the Shiva.

I am thinking of consolidating my amp stable down to three amps: RA100, LSC, and Bogner Shiva (add in the Triaxis Pre to cover the other tones).

Thanks for the input. The 20th Shiva is much different however. I was not a fan of the original Shivas, but I love the 20th series, especially with EL34s as I had mine ordered that way.

papersoul said:

The Electradyne is the closest I have found to the Boogie for me but it struggles a bit at low volumes so I checked out the Royal and really like it, plus it sounds great at lower volumes.

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Why do you think the ED doesn't do low volume well ?

Because I find it needs volume to sound good, where my PWE and Shiva sound killer at home volumes. I went and played the ED next to the Royal today and the ED sounds much bigger to me.

papersoul said:

Because I find it needs volume to sound good, where my PWE and Shiva sound killer at home volumes. I went and played the ED next to the Royal today and the ED sounds much bigger to me.

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When I watch the Hagarty's videos comparing the ED to the RA I always thought the same thing.

Assumer said:

papersoul said:

Because I find it needs volume to sound good, where my PWE and Shiva sound killer at home volumes. I went and played the ED next to the Royal today and the ED sounds much bigger to me.

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When I watch the Hagarty's videos comparing the ED to the RA I always thought the same thing.

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No offense meant to Don and the hard work they put into the videos, but , um, I wouldn't have bought an RA based on their vids-- the tones they dial in are just not anywhere near as good as what the RA is capable of, at least in my opinion. What you might be hearing is the difference between a wide-open ED and an RA with the Master up but the power soak on, which compresses it a little. I put a bunch of hours into an ED and I'd say it and the RA are equal for 'sounding good', just the RA is more versatile and has a lot more gain on tap.

CoG said:

Assumer said:

papersoul said:

Because I find it needs volume to sound good, where my PWE and Shiva sound killer at home volumes. I went and played the ED next to the Royal today and the ED sounds much bigger to me.

Click to expand...

When I watch the Hagarty's videos comparing the ED to the RA I always thought the same thing.

Click to expand...

No offense meant to Don and the hard work they put into the videos, but , um, I wouldn't have bought an RA based on their vids-- the tones they dial in are just not anywhere near as good as what the RA is capable of, at least in my opinion. What you might be hearing is the difference between a wide-open ED and an RA with the Master up but the power soak on, which compresses it a little. I put a bunch of hours into an ED and I'd say it and the RA are equal for 'sounding good', just the RA is more versatile and has a lot more gain on tap.

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Just wish I could hear one locally. Local GC has several ED but no RA.

Assumer said:

Just wish I could hear one locally. Local GC has several ED but no RA.

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I own both the ED and the RA, and neither one has a problem sounding good. The ED has a bunch of low-mids, and this can be "heard" as a bigger sounding tone. I play both of the amps through a Genz-Benz ported 2x12, so a "big" tone is not a problem, on any given day. I loaded the RA-100 with Sylvania 6CA7's and had an early Van Halen flashback yesterday, on the red channel with the gain around 1:00 and the master up high with no attenuation. 8)

Really, the Sylvania's gave the RA a Van Halen tone? Was it the tubes or your settings? Please share, as I am a devoted RA owner too!

JOEY B. said:

Assumer said:

Just wish I could hear one locally. Local GC has several ED but no RA.

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I own both the ED and the RA, and neither one has a problem sounding good. The ED has a bunch of low-mids, and this can be "heard" as a bigger sounding tone. I play both of the amps through a Genz-Benz ported 2x12, so a "big" tone is not a problem, on any given day. I loaded the RA-100 with Sylvania 6CA7's and had an early Van Halen flashback yesterday, on the red channel with the gain around 1:00 and the master up high with no attenuation. 8)

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I agree. A lot of amps that have an emphasis in the low mids sound very big and full, especially on their own. The Royal sounds extremely big and full in a band mix. It occupies it's own space in the sonic spectrum and sits in that space very nicely. Cuts through well, but not a high trebly way, like the Stiletto.

BostonRedSox said:

Really, the Sylvania's gave the RA a Van Halen tone? Was it the tubes or your settings? Please share, as I am a devoted RA owner too!

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I think it was the Sylvanias being pushed very hard, the Superstrat, and the mood that I was in(going for the "Fair Warning" sound) Unless you have my guitar and speaker cab, the settings would be a moot point. What worked for me may sound like dogshit to your ears. As they say YMMV.

Share them anyways. Perhaps, you have a setting I overlooked and maybe I'll get a different sound than you did with my rig. Either way, I like the red channel but I don't find it to be as defined as it should be.

BostonRedSox said:

Share them anyways. Perhaps, you have a setting I overlooked and maybe I'll get a different sound than you did with my rig. Either way, I like the red channel but I don't find it to be as defined as it should be.

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Gain at 1:30 o'clock, Master Volume at 2:30 o'clock, tone controls pretty much as pictured. The guitar is a modded USA Jackson SL1, and I'll just leave it at that.

Thanks! :lol:

JOEY B. said:

BostonRedSox said:

Share them anyways. Perhaps, you have a setting I overlooked and maybe I'll get a different sound than you did with my rig. Either way, I like the red channel but I don't find it to be as defined as it should be.

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Gain at 1:30 o'clock, Master Volume at 2:30 o'clock, tone controls pretty much as pictured. The guitar is a modded USA Jackson SL1, and I'll just leave it at that.

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The amp is in the 50 watt setting. I never said that it wasn't loud. :wink: