Fractal Audio AMP models: Shiver (Bogner Shiva 20th Ann.)

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* EDIT: Up-to-date information is available in Yek's Guide to the Fractal Audio Amplifier Models *

Shiva.png


Shiver: based on Bogner Shiva 20th Anniversary

Bogner is a guitar amplifier manufacturing company, founded by the very entertaining and eccentric Reinhold Bogner.

Like the Ecstasy, the two-channel Shiva has been a very popular part of Bogner’s line-up for a long time, in various incarnations. The Shiva is known for its warm clean tone, combined with the signature “woody” and thick Bogner gain sound. It’s simply a wonderful amp, once again one of my favorites.

Note: it'd be rather logical to rename this model into Euro Shiver, in line with the other models based on Bogner amps.​

We’ve got models of the 20th Anniversary edition of the Shiva, which has KT88 tubes, rated at 90 watts. The KT88-version has less gain than the EL34-equipped Shiva model.

Wikipedia:
“Historically, the KT88 has been far more popular with high fidelity stereo manufacturers than guitar amplifier builders, given its characteristics of high-power and low-distortion. Due to these characteristics, it is regularly used to replace 6550 tubes by end users seeking a guitar amplifier tone with less distortion.​

Bogner:
“Years of Bogner designs distilled down to its purest form, is the SHIVA. Featuring two highly evolved channels, capable of clean tones that shimmer like icicles in the deep of winter moonlight and tube saturation that is so rich and powerful it should be illegal in the free world. The Shiva is a masterful study of refined elegance, providing the synergy of one's heart and hands.​

20th Anniversary Shiva - comes with a pair of KT88’s and the amp is rated at 90 watts. The clean channel has an entire new boost circuit. Unlike the tone stack bypass boost on the other Shiva model this boost has a separate gain stage which brings this channel into Plexi territory when boost is engaged. The tone controls tay in the circuit and affect the sound.​

The gain channel features higher gain and a slightly more refined type of gain. Two push button switches have been added to further shape the tone. The Shift button will as it is labeled shift the EQ., pushed in you will have a more Fender or type tone, less mids softer feel. One could say it will please the Dumble favoring players. The Mode button if pushed in will give a more aggressive in your face feel.​

A power amp dampening control was added located on the back panel. This control labeled Excursion is great to dial in a full sound at low volumes or adjust the right balanced bass to a cabinet. Be careful as this can add massive bottom to your sound which might overpower other frequencies and cover up an overall balanced sound. Best to keep low at higher volumes.”​

Cliff:
“The original Shiva models were based on a borrowed amp. We now have a 20th Anniversary Shiva (with KT88s) and the new models are based on that amp. We did notice that this amp has less gain than the one used originally but the model is faithful to the amp."​

Fractal Audio has modeled the Clean and the Lead channels.

There are Volume, Bass and Treble controls on the Clean channel. The Lead channel has Gain, Bass, Middle and Treble controls. Both channels have a Bright switch, which is less effective the higher Volume/Drive is set. Shared controls are: Presence, Master, Excursion (model: Depth). The "Boost" and "Shift" controls on the original amp are not modeled (use Input Trim as Boost).

The Clean channel stays clean until very high Volume settings. It’s a beefy clean tone, especially when turning up the Master (which I always do).

Although quite dark at default settings, the right combination of Treble, Bright and Presence results in shimmering cleans.

To achieve a crunchy overdrive on the clean channel, turn up Volume to 8 or higher. It sounds really good when overdriven. This apllies to the model too.

The Lead channel offers the trademark Bogner thick tone, with less gain than the Ecstasy. Saturation only happens in the upper region of the gain control. This makes it a great amp for classic rock tones. Metal ain’t its thing. At default settings the Lead channel is also dark, but it works well in a band context. Don’t hesitate to turn up Presence to add bite and clarity to the sound.

Cliff:
"People think Bogners are dark but they really aren't. The reason they seem that way is the pot tapers. Most people assume knobs should be set somewhere around noon. If you do this on a Bogner it's like turning the treble way down on a Marshall. Close your eyes and adjust the tone controls with your ears. Don't be afraid to turn them way up or way down."​

"Human nature is to put the knobs near noon. We are reticent to deviate much from noon. Amp designers exploit this and use different tapers to change the sound of their amps WITH THE KNOBS AT NOON. A prime example are Bogner amps. Everyone says "Bogner amps are dark". No they aren't. But he uses a Log10A taper for the treble pot. It's a standard Marshall tone stack. Usually a linear taper pot is used for the treble. The treble knob at 5.0 (noon) on a Bogner is equivalent to the treble knob at 1.0 on a Marshall. People put the knob at 5.0 and go "wow, this amp is dark". No it isn't. If you turned the treble up to 8 or 9 it would sound a lot like a Plexi but humans are reticent to turn the knobs to extremes. Amp designers know this and exploit it to give their amps a "signature sound"."​

Here’s the manual.

Audio clips of the Shiva.

Review of the Shiva in Premier Guitar.

The Shiva’s accompanying cabinets are a 1x12, 2x10 or 2x12 with Classic 80 speakers. We’ve IRs of @austinbuddy 's Shiva cabinet: stock cab 12. And it’s a great IR. In fact, I also like this cab a lot with the Euro (Ecstasy) models.

More IRs of this cab are available in Cab Pack 17.​







 
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Definitely a favorite for edge-of-breakup tones, although I've used a real one live once with a tube screamer in the front and it had a killer "hot-rodded-Marshall" type of tone.
The cleans seem very glassy and subdued, but that can be perfect for ethereal-sounding backdrops and chord work.
 
I have played this amp in person only once, it was at a music shop while I was out of town. I immediately made plans to start saving for this amp, ended up with the AF2 instead, partly because the Shiva was in the box. The model in box doesn't get me the tone I got from the 20th I played, I can't ever get that top end bite that I did with the one I played. I've had Peavey 5150's for almost 20 years and to me the Shiva was to me like everything the 5150 wanted to be when it grew up.
 
The guitarist in this band used only the Shiva to record this album, which I never knew until recently. He was well known on the regional circuit in the mid through late 90's and was a Marshall guy, he used the 30th Anniversary Head mostly. We knew this wasn't that tone when the album came out but always assumed that he was blending the Marshall with Boogies, which still sounds plausible to my ears today. Several months back however he told me it was Shiva and only Shiva for that album. Love the tone. Great album and some really great songs...







 
Shiva.png


Shiver: based on Bogner Shiva 20th Anniversary

Bogner is a guitar amplifier manufacturing company, founded by the very entertaining and eccentric Reinhold Bogner.

Like the Ecstasy, the two-channel Shiva has been a very popular part of Bogner’s line-up for a long time, in various incarnations. The Shiva is known for its warm clean tone, combined with the signature “woody” and thick Bogner gain sound. It’s simply a wonderful amp, once again one of my favorites.

Note: it'd be rather logical to rename this model into Euro Shiver, in line with the other models based on Bogner amps.​

We’ve got models of the 20th Anniversary edition of the Shiva, which has KT88 tubes, rated at 90 watts. The KT88-version has less gain than the EL34-equipped Shiva model.

Wikipedia:
“Historically, the KT88 has been far more popular with high fidelity stereo manufacturers than guitar amplifier builders, given its characteristics of high-power and low-distortion. Due to these characteristics, it is regularly used to replace 6550 tubes by end users seeking a guitar amplifier tone with less distortion.​

Bogner:
“Years of Bogner designs distilled down to its purest form, is the SHIVA. Featuring two highly evolved channels, capable of clean tones that shimmer like icicles in the deep of winter moonlight and tube saturation that is so rich and powerful it should be illegal in the free world. The Shiva is a masterful study of refined elegance, providing the synergy of one's heart and hands.​

20th Anniversary Shiva - comes with a pair of KT88’s and the amp is rated at 90 watts. The clean channel has an entire new boost circuit. Unlike the tone stack bypass boost on the other Shiva model this boost has a separate gain stage which brings this channel into Plexi territory when boost is engaged. The tone controls tay in the circuit and affect the sound.​

The gain channel features higher gain and a slightly more refined type of gain. Two push button switches have been added to further shape the tone. The Shift button will as it is labeled shift the EQ., pushed in you will have a more Fender or type tone, less mids softer feel. One could say it will please the Dumble favoring players. The Mode button if pushed in will give a more aggressive in your face feel.​

A power amp dampening control was added located on the back panel. This control labeled Excursion is great to dial in a full sound at low volumes or adjust the right balanced bass to a cabinet. Be careful as this can add massive bottom to your sound which might overpower other frequencies and cover up an overall balanced sound. Best to keep low at higher volumes.”​

Cliff:
“The original Shiva models were based on a borrowed amp. We now have a 20th Anniversary Shiva (with KT88s) and the new models are based on that amp. We did notice that this amp has less gain than the one used originally but the model is faithful to the amp."​

Fractal Audio has modeled the Clean and the Lead channels.

There are Volume, Bass and Treble controls on the Clean channel. The Lead channel has Gain, Bass, Middle and Treble controls. Both channels have a Bright switch, which is less effective the higher Volume/Drive is set. Shared controls are: Presence, Master, Excursion (model: Depth). The "Boost" and "Shift" controls on the original amp are not modeled (use Input Trim as Boost).

The Clean channel stays clean until very high Volume settings. It’s a beefy clean tone, especially when turning up the Master (which I always do).

Although quite dark at default settings, the right combination of Treble, Bright and Presence results in shimmering cleans.

To achieve a crunchy overdrive on the clean channel, turn up Volume to 8 or higher. It sounds really good when overdriven. This apllies to the model too.

The Lead channel offers the trademark Bogner thick tone, with less gain than the Ecstasy. Saturation only happens in the upper region of the gain control. This makes it a great amp for classic rock tones. Metal ain’t its thing. At default settings the Lead channel is also dark, but it works well in a band context. Don’t hesitate to turn up Presence to add bite and clarity to the sound.

Cliff:
"People think Bogners are dark but they really aren't. The reason they seem that way is the pot tapers. Most people assume knobs should be set somewhere around noon. If you do this on a Bogner it's like turning the treble way down on a Marshall. Close your eyes and adjust the tone controls with your ears. Don't be afraid to turn them way up or way down."​

"Human nature is to put the knobs near noon. We are reticent to deviate much from noon. Amp designers exploit this and use different tapers to change the sound of their amps WITH THE KNOBS AT NOON. A prime example are Bogner amps. Everyone says "Bogner amps are dark". No they aren't. But he uses a Log10A taper for the treble pot. It's a standard Marshall tone stack. Usually a linear taper pot is used for the treble. The treble knob at 5.0 (noon) on a Bogner is equivalent to the treble knob at 1.0 on a Marshall. People put the knob at 5.0 and go "wow, this amp is dark". No it isn't. If you turned the treble up to 8 or 9 it would sound a lot like a Plexi but humans are reticent to turn the knobs to extremes. Amp designers know this and exploit it to give their amps a "signature sound"."​

Here’s the manual.

Audio clips of the Shiva.

Review of the Shiva in Premier Guitar.

The Shiva’s accompanying cabinets are a 1x12, 2x10 or 2x12 with Classic 80 speakers. We’ve IRs of @austinbuddy 's Shiva cabinet: stock cab 12. And it’s a great IR. In fact, I also like this cab a lot with the Euro (Ecstasy) models.

More IRs of this cab are available in Cab Pack 17.​










Thanks yek for your awesome job on the Fractal Audio AMP models..I spend way to much time in there....reading...lol
 
The guitarist in this band used only the Shiva to record this album, which I never knew until recently. He was well known on the regional circuit in the mid through late 90's and was a Marshall guy, he used the 30th Anniversary Head mostly. We knew this wasn't that tone when the album came out but always assumed that he was blending the Marshall with Boogies, which still sounds plausible to my ears today. Several months back however he told me it was Shiva and only Shiva for that album. Love the tone. Great album and some really great songs...








That's cool...I wondered what amps he used. Great tone. Do you know if he used the Shiva on the Blue in the Face album?
 
The Bogner Shiva is my "go to" amp for drive. It's really nice paired with the Boogie Lonestar clean channel for drive + sparkle. Also, putting a distortion in front of the Shiva yields a lovely grind.
 
The Shiva lead is my favorite amp for classic rock and leadsounds since I 've started with my first AXE, but I never had a real Shiva, because at the day I wanted to buy one, I heard and played a Tube Thomsen Amp and decided for this amazing hardwired amp made by Nils Thomsen
 
I think the boost circuit should have been modeled, it really makes this amp rock. It was my dream amp ever since I tested one in a local rock shop. But then again, we have a ton of other High Gain amps that I would preferably use now, so no biggie.
 
I think the boost circuit should have been modeled, it really makes this amp rock. It was my dream amp ever since I tested one in a local rock shop. But then again, we have a ton of other High Gain amps that I would preferably use now, so no biggie.

Doesn't the Boost just bypass the tone stack altogether?
 
Doesn't the Boost just bypass the tone stack altogether?
In the 20th anniversary The boost adds another gain stage, definitely into high gain territory. Not sure if the tone stack is bypassed, to the best of my foggy memory the tone circuit still worked.
 
I have a bit of a love-hate relationship with my Hollowbody Guitar. I think the pickups are a bit lower in output than my other guitars, so my go-to presets always sound kinda thin, lifeless if you like. Fun to mess around on, but often falls short in the band context.

Combined with the Shiva Lead from @yek's preset downloads and 412DZL+412ORN V30 IR's from the HHC, this guitar finally has a killer rock sound that I didn't move away from much in the last few hours of Sunday night jamming.

I'm using IEM's tonight with my 1YO asleep, so I'm really looking forward to firing this preset up at rehearsal on Tuesday night and see how it goes with a full band mix.

Thanks again Yek - this guide just keeps on giving.
 
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The guitarist in this band used only the Shiva to record this album, which I never knew until recently. He was well known on the regional circuit in the mid through late 90's and was a Marshall guy, he used the 30th Anniversary Head mostly. We knew this wasn't that tone when the album came out but always assumed that he was blending the Marshall with Boogies, which still sounds plausible to my ears today. Several months back however he told me it was Shiva and only Shiva for that album. Love the tone. Great album and some really great songs...

For more Shiva goodness check out Degradation Trip by Jerry Cantrell. The ultimate recorded Shiva tone! One of the best rhythm tones on any album too IMO. Of course Jerry always had and has excellent tone.





 
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