Bogner La Grange Overdrive Guitar Effects Pedal with Independent Boost

Product Information

Two channels of high-gain Plexi-style BE-OD circuits in one pedal with an added mid-range knob, by one of the best living amp makers. The Channel footswitch alternates between the two. There’s also a one channel version, in the following categories. This things cleans up really well with the guitar volume knob and there's a huge about of volume and gain on tap with the Boost circuit engaged, which I found great for solos and actually gives that early Angus lead sound. The drive's charter and level of gain are set by the viscosity and opacity of liquids placed in its lidded bowl-like chamber. The pedal itself has only the single Volume control and footswitch - all other tonal characteristics are derived from the liquid/s employed. Presence Switch: "h" is high, for a more open and bright tone. "L" is low for a more rounder tone with milder high frequencies

Designed in collaboration with Adrian Thorpe of ThorpyFX, this is a high-end amp-in-a-box version of the company’s actual guitar amp (and the amped and “ preamped” pedal versions of it). It nails the classic Plexi overdriven and distorted tones and also includes a 3-way EQ section to sculpt the sound as needed. A pedal with a bit of a saggy distortion that really nails the Turned Up To 11 Marshall sound. The Mid Selector really helps define how present the guitar is in the mix and can get you from 70’s crunch a la’ Free or Led Zeppelin to Metallica or Megadeth scooped mid metal! This cookie stores user-like settings for the chat system provider, which are required for our online chat service. Trusted Shops This offers a sufficiently differentiated feature set to the BE-OD Deluxe to be a viable solution for many - it is a fairly large pedal though - as is he Friedman equivalent. That has individual Presence controls (mini) and Tightness toggle-switches, while the LPD variant has 2 modes per channel, and additional internal bright switch per channel. I did not use Alex' Vero layout but build my own because I wanted the voltage converters off the board and also run a few components off board to make pot wiring easier and get a smaller Vero footprint. One of the things I changed is to run a wire from the source of the first BS170 to the center lug of the SPDT Gain Switch and then ran the 100R and the 1 K from the other two lugs directly, off board, to a ground rail. I did the same with the 470n and the 47u on the Blend knob and initially the 47R and the 2M2 from the gain knob, but I took these out again later as they do not serve much of a purpose.

CONS:

Based off a Marshall Bluesbreaker, this mini pedal offers lower gain Marshall drive in a tidy enclosure. The Bogner La Grange is an effects pedal that allows players to create the iconic 60s sound of British 'Plexi' amplifiers. The La Grange Pedal has an independent boost on-board, which can be used by itself via its footswitch, or it can be used with the main circuitry too. The boost can be controlled with its own knob, that adjusts the overall level of the effect. Other controls for the pedal, include Volume, Tone and Gain, as well as Channel Blend which simulates different channels of the amplifier. There are also 4 switches that offer increased flexibility for fine tuning your sound. The Gain switch lets players choose between medium, low and high gain, the Variac switch adds dynamic compression, Presence offers both high and low options, and finally Structure provides tight, fat or 'in the middle'. The Bogner La Grange features premium design and construction, with double sided gold-plated circuit boards, German WIMA and Japanese Nichicon capacitors, and Carling footswitches. This overdrive pedal utilizes a multistage distortion circuit that helps it feel and sound like a real tube amp. It is handmade in England and has true bypass for extra signal clarity in your rig. caption id="attachment_5883" align="alignleft" width="950"] The beauty of the La Grange comes from its masterful tonal response and versatile set of powerful controls.[/caption] What we can also quite evidently see is that the new V2 variety sports a significantly changed enclosure - which appears to be approximately 15% smaller than the V1. Here we don’t know if the Smaller enclosure came first and then possibly the former Rupert Neve Transformer no longer fitted, or whether a newer Transformer type used allowed Bogner to make the pedal smaller. What is for certain sure is that these are no longer exactly the same pedals - and Bogner describes them as significantly re-voiced - with more dynamics and gain on-tap, and a more modern and more punchy/aggressive signature tonal profile.

A stompbox rendition of channel 1 of the company’s Small Box, a compact Plexi-style amp. More nuanced and classic sounding than the popular Friedman BE Overdrive, the Smallbox features six controls, just like its big brother amp: Level, Gain and four EQ knobs: Bass, Mid, Treble and Presence. A toggle switch on the side panel changes the effect’s gain structure, delivering an extra push for a more in-your-face, high-gain Plexi tone. A lower price evolution of the MXR Dookie,” it’s based on Greenday’s Billy Joe Armstrong’s two custom Marshall 100w Plexi Super Lead amps. A center toggle switch offers mid punch, mid-scoop and a flat option. This is arguably the first “amp in a box” pedal ever created and many of the pedals on this list wouldn’t be here today without it. The late 80’s stompbox found popularity after it was discontinued in the early 90’s and is still the “go to” dirt box for many players who want to add some British-tuned distortion to their rigs. The one pictured here is Version 2.

An independent boost function, with a level control, can be activated via it's own foot-switch to be either used as a stand alone boost, or together with the La Grange's main circuitry. Essentially two independent pedals, with the boost being in series after the La Grange! All the sizzle and spice and everything you love about Plexis in a cool looking pedal. The Preamp and Master gain act like they would on your favorite old British amp and give you a lot of different options for gain staging. This is also Andy from ProGuitarShop’s favorite Plexi-in-a-Pedal!

The JCM800 side benefits from 4-Band EQ including Presence, while the Plexi side is controlled by more conventional Volume, Tone and Drive mini-knobs. This is the second derivative of this format after the initial RevivalTrem pedal - which was the first Origin Effect to combine drive/preamp and modulation in the same unit. This time around the pedal is dedicated towards replicating the Magnatone Amp's output with that lovely Vintage Vibrato modulation. The toggle switches on the top end of the pedal further push what's possible with the La Grange. For example, you can use the Variac switch for extra dynamic compression and enriched harmonics that give off a very EVH-style 'brown sound', or use the Presence and Structure switches to further fine tune the response of the pedal's sound. Used together, they offer a huge range of tones that should make nearly every kind of Marshall amp fan happy. In some ways my favourite favourite Blues Breaker voicing is to be found on the Wampler Pantheon, while that can't really compete with the extended user experience the Golden Boy provides.As far as the build goes, the La Grange is easily a top-of-the-line pedal, inside and out; impressively sturdy with a look and feel that resonates high-quality through and through. It should easily last years of consistent use and take the occasional drop without much issue. Housed inside its tough exterior, the pedal consists of several high-grade components throughout, including German WIMA and Japanese Nichicon capacitors, double-sided gold-plated circuit boards, gold-plated relays, Carling switches and more. If that all sound like jargon to you, suffice it to say that Bogner didn’t cut corners when building the La Grange.

There are 4 switches on-board the La Grange, including Gain, Variac, Presence and Structure. The Gain switch offers 3 positions including High, Medium and Low, and the Variac switch adds dynamic compression to the sound and enhanced harmonics. The Presence switch has two options, including high for a bright, clear tone and low for a more mellowed and well-rounded sound. Finally, the Structure switch has 3 positions which are indicated with 3 dots. The smaller dot yields a tight structure, the open circle offers a looser sound and the solid dot provides an 'in-between' structure. Features Designed to nail the sound of a dimed Marshall JTM45, it does so convincingly. The controls couldn’t be simpler – Drive, Tone, Volume, and a single volume knob for boost (which can boost up to 50x from unity gain, that’s A LOT of boost!). The mojo in this pedal is really in the interaction between the Drive knob and your guitar’s volume control – just like old Marshalls. Even when maxed, it never seems to get smeary or harsh. A classic British distortion pedal paired with a colored boost. It offers plenty of tonal shaping possibilities, plus an optional extra gain stage to really ramp things up. Employs hand-selected discrete JFETs to create a unique blend of Plexi and Marshall-style tones, based on the Marshall 1987 Silver Jubilee amp.Reinhold designed the La Grange pedal with an op-amp input, followed by five discrete Class A gain stages and incorporated Germanium diode clipping. This approach minimizes the input noise floor while retaining touch sensitivity and clarity throughout the entire gain range. If you take a look at the La Grange and compare the front panel to the other Bogner pedals you will notice a lot of similarities but inside there are plenty of differences. On the top you have all of the controls you would normally find on an amplifier with Volume, Treble, Middle, Bass and Gain as well as a separate Boost Volume control. By designing the pedal like an amplifier premp it lets you get a lot closer to the sound of the real amp. I can go on and on but the best way to really appreciate what this pedal can do is by hearing it in action for yourself: If you are on the market for the Plexi sound, but in the more portable stompbox format, you need to thank the Carl Martin Plexitone, a 1994 device that started the Plexi-in-a-Box trend. Since then, dozens of similar pedals have been released in this niche.