Bogner Ecstasy Blue Mini
Can there be too much of a good thing?
At the time of publishing this pedal was on sale for £99 at multiple stores making it one of the best £99 overdrive/distortion pedals out there!
The Ecstasy Blue Mini by Bogner is a miniaturised version of their original Ecstasy Blue overdrive pedal. It aims to recreate the responsiveness and feel of the Blue channel on the £3,000 Bogner Ecstasy amplifier. It is a highly versatile overdrive/distortion pedal that offers a wide range of tonal options for guitarists. It has three separate gain modes, a 3-band EQ, and a variety of other options that allow players to fine-tune their sound.
One of the standout features of the Ecstasy Blue Mini is its 3-band EQ. On the low-gain setting, you can use the EQ controls to add fullness to your sound without altering it too much. As you turn up the gain, you can use the pedal as a boost or to give a very clean amplifier that sought-after edge-of-breakup tone.
The medium gain mode produces a smooth and thick overdrive sound that is perfect for playing blues and classic rock. On the high-gain setting, the pedal falls firmly within the realm of distortion, producing a thick and saturated tone with plenty of sustain. While it may not quite reach Friedman BE-OD levels of distortion, it comes pretty close.
The variac switch lets you add more compression and sustain to tighten up your sound. Leaving the switch off will produce a fuller, more open tone. The “pre-eq” switch lets you tweak the EQ curve before the gain stage. Neutral leaves your tone alone. B2 will boost the higher frequencies, adding clarity, while B1 will boost the bottom end adding fullness to your tone. This is great if you want surgical levels of control over your tone, but similar effects can be achieved by tweaking the 3-band EQ or rolling off the tone on your guitar.
On the back of the pedal is another potentiometer that can be controlled with a screwdriver. This lets you set the frequencies targeted by the “M” tone knob. It is a nice addition if you like to tinker with your pedals. Ultimately, though, it is just another layer of complexity added to an already over-complicated pedal.
The pedal sounds great with valve amplifiers such as a Fender Blues Junior or a Revv D20. It will give your clean tube amp access to the blue channel of a Bogner Ecstasy. The Ecstasy Blue also works well with modelling and solid-state amps, particularly in the light-gain mode, where it adds a very tube-like responsiveness to your playing. Whether you are using humbuckers or single coils, looking to play the blues or metal, this pedal can do it all.
The Bogner Ecstasy Blue Mini is hand-built in the U.S.A. with very high-end components. All the knobs and switches feel very firm and smooth in operation. If you thought Boss pedals were built well, you are in for a pleasant surprise.
The three gain modes on the Bogner make it similar to the newly released Duke of Tone by MXR. However, the Bogner pedal has a wider gain range and smoother clipping, which may or may not be preferred by some players. That said, the Bogner can get most of the sounds of a Duke of Tone and so much more! The Dirty Shirley by Friedman, however, offers a similar range of tones and gain options with a much simpler control layout.
Bottom Line
The Bogner Ecstasy Blue Mini is an incredibly versatile pedal that offers a limitless range of tonal options, similar to the high-end amplifier it is based on. However, it can be a little difficult to dial in and operate due to the complex interactions between the various switches and controls. It is also quite expensive at almost £200, but its impressive feature set may justify the investment for many players. At the discounted price of £99 it is a no-brainer.