Alchemist spins the visions of discerning guitarists into gold.
The Bogner Alchemist Series 212 is a guitar combo amp that boasts sparkling, articulate cleans; touch-sensitive leads; and a bright and colorful crunch. Alchemist is a modern take on vintage tube amp design. The Alchemist 212 amp owes its remarkable tonality to a 6L6 class-AB power section, a five-12AX7 preamp and premium Celestion speakers. It owes its timeless appeal, though, to classic innovation, modern ingenuity and the entrancing ancient mysticism of alchemy.
The Bogner Alchemist has a 2-channel design, each channel with its own voice and identity. Beginning clean and fast, featuring an open top-end and tight bottom-end, Channel 1 opens gradually to present simmering blues tones that churn like spirits in a cauldron. Advancing toward saturation, Crunch mode turns up the heat, adding the perfect touch of nastiness with added pick response and increased tonal complexity. Channel 2, achieves critical mass, invoking the famous white-hot Bogner gain—creamy, modern and screaming with sustain—offering everything from Brit rock right through to modern metal. Plus, with variable Bright settings, each channel can be customized to match the tone of your guitar and rig.
Featuring a selectable power section, from 40 to 20 watts, the Bogner Alchemist sonority quickly transforms to display a very different kind of magic. When switched to 20 watts, the Alchemist 212 undergoes a complete sonic metamorphosis, changing its harmonic complexity and feel to conjure the essence of the legendary Brown sound.
Reverb and Delay, in variable styles and levels, run in parallel separate from the original signal. The result is a rich, living and breathing, fully realized resonance capable of producing a complete tonal landscape.
Bogner includes a 4-button footswitch with the Alchemist 212 tube combo amp.
This is an outstanding amplifier and begs an in-depth review. I've been completely inspired and blown away by this amp in the last few weeks. I found tones I didn't even know about that I love. The sound quality and build quality are 10/10 period. It is a total pleasure to play.
That said I won't say this amp is without a few feature shortcomings hence my 4.5 rating. I absolutely love the clean and crunch modes on the clean channel. An easy way to switch between them (and less volume change between them) would be perfect. I solve that with a combination of playing the crunch mode and changing the V knob on my guitar and/or use my OD pedals.
The 20 watt mode is awesome for a bit more spongy and loose (unchained if you will) breakup. Bogner invented the brown sound we all know and love by modifying EVH's Marshalls. So you know the 20 watt variac feature rocks. Its definitely a tonal adjustment and not to be considered a volume adjustment.
Like I'm sure you've already read, the cleans out of this amp are downright beautiful. Moving on. The foot-switchable boost feature is great. A little bump of mids and volume/gain to fill a lead part - awesome. The built in effects, both reverb and delay, are very useful. 3 different modes of each. You will certainly find something you can work with.
I haven't found much use for the gain channel with the punch switch off, but that mode isn't hurting anything being there right? With the punch switch on, the gain channel has a modern voicing and can take you from overdrive up to just shy of extreme/brutal metal. There is lots to explore on that channel between the gain knob, EQ, your guitar V knob, and any boost or OD pedals you might have. I've spent days carving out awesome tones on that channel. Literally. The gain channel is extremely quiet right up until the gain is maxed out. Pretty impressive. There is literally no noise on the clean channel.
I hear some people have had success with a tube change. If the tone can get much better, I'd be floored.
My overall experience with this amp is has been absolutely wonderful. For sound quality, versatility, build quality, and price, the value on this amp is outstanding. There are a few versatility oriented features I wish it had but considering everything else there is no room for complaint. This amp would be a great solution for the vast majority of players out there. At least do yourself the favor of playing it ASAP.
Overall
Quality
Features
Value
This was my first choice...
Posted by ReviewWritingManBeast from Tucson, AZ on Sep 14, 2009
Experience w/product: I have used it
Reviewer's Background: 6 years guitarist, 1 year amateur rec engineer
Reviewer's Play Style: Black Metal
But after playing a Mesa Boogie Express 5:25, I decided to go with that instead. The Bogner is really sweet though. I love the tape delay with the warble. It sounds incredible. The reverb is VERY strong and the EQ controls are super sensitive. I found this one to be a bit muddy though. Either way, great sound, original looks, and a pretty nice amp.
Overall
Quality
Features
Value
Wow!!
Posted by Bogner and Duncans from Virginia on Jun 16, 2009
Experience w/product: I own it
Reviewer's Background: Hobbyist
Reviewer's Play Style: Rock, Metal, Blues
Well, I decided to get a nice new amp as my Vox just wasnt cutting it anymore. Went to my local Guitar store and they only had a 1x12 that I could mess around with. Long story short, I walked out of there with a new amp, and I bought the little epiphone that I used while testing it for good measure!! The clean channel on this amp blows me away everytime I play it. It really is an amp that you need to hear in person. I have not found a tone that this amp cannot reproduce. The crunch on channel one can go from an AC/DC to a real warm blues tone depending on the gain setting. THe distortion channel starts out where channel one ended and can get pretty dirty with the gain cranked on this thing. I would say that you should be prepared to tweak your lows, mids, and highs because they are actually useful on this amp. Previously I used a Pod X3Live for my tones... I am looking to sell that thing as the only thing I use on it now is the built-in tuner.
The single greatest thing about this amp for me, is that I have now discovered my own tone that I prefer, not someone else's tone. This amp has truly inspired me to be original.
Bottom line: This is a great amp and if you have the scratch, buy it now and stop reading reviews.
Overall
Quality
Features
Value
Get this 2x12 version
Posted by JA from L.A. on Jun 11, 2009
Experience w/product: I have used it
Reviewer's Background: 20+ years
Reviewer's Play Style: 60's~90
I don't own this amp, but have played all 3 versions of it (head, 2x12, 1x12) at stores in my area until they kick me out.
It is a fantastic rock amp. Fantastic. Like most modern amps, you have to be willing to twiddle the knobs to get it's wide range of sounds out of it. It is completely different from an old classic amp, where the tone controls do very little. EVERY knob and button on this amp not only changes the sound a LOT, it also affects the settings of the other knobs. Stick a Strat or LP in front of it, each is fantastic, each is very different. Read the other comments for this combo version and the head version, the positive comments are all true. Rich, hi-fi Fender and Vox tones from the clean side, clean through very crunchy, then crunch through very over-driven and sustained from the hot channel. Every tone great, every tone usable if you have the chops to use it.
Here's the inside tip though. This 2x12 version uses 2 DIFFERENT speakers, not both the same. This is something that the hipper boutique builders are doing now, blending the sounds of two different speakers and voicing the amp to work with them. Thus, this 2x12 version has it's own unique sound, above and beyond what the head or 2x12 version can deliver. Get this version!
Overall
Quality
Features
Value
Get this 2x12 version
Posted by JA from L.A. on Jun 11, 2009
Experience w/product: I have used it
Reviewer's Background: 20+ years
Reviewer's Play Style: 60's~90
I don't own this amp, but have played all 3 versions of it (head, 2x12, 1x12) at stores in my area until they kick me out.
It is a fantastic rock amp. Fantastic. Like most modern amps, you have to be willing to twiddle the knobs to get it's wide range of sounds out of it. It is completely different from an old classic amp, where the tone controls do very little. EVERY knob and button on this amp not only changes the sound a LOT, it also affects the settings of the other knobs. Stick a Strat or LP in front of it, each is fantastic, each is very different. Read the other comments for this combo version and the head version, the positive comments are all true. Rich, hi-fi Fender and Vox tones from the clean side, clean through very crunchy, then crunch through very over-driven and sustained from the hot channel. Every tone great, every tone usable if you have the chops to use it.
Here's the inside tip though. This 2x12 version uses 2 DIFFERENT speakers, not both the same. This is something that the hipper boutique builders are doing now, blending the sounds of two different speakers and voicing the amp to work with them. Thus, this 2x12 version has it's own unique sound, above and beyond what the head or 2x12 version can deliver. Get this version!
Used Products are rated and sorted by Condition. Used products with Conditions 1-3 can be returned in accordance with our standard return policy. Used items with Conditions 4 and 5 are sold AS-IS and are NON-RETURNABLE. Our Lowest Price Guarantee DOES NOT apply to any used gear we sell.
If you are not completely satisfied with any product, return it for a full refund of the product purchase price, full credit, or exchange of your choice – no hassles! Stringed instruments priced at $1999 or more have a special policy.
On-Time Delivery Guarantee
If you don't get your gear on time, shipping is free and you get 20% off your next order. Details »
Help & Support
Questions or comments? Email or call us at 800-391-8762.
All of our used products ship to Canada.
