Better Guitar

player opinions

Name: Dan Monk
Band: Studio musician
Model Year: 2005
Price Paid: $225 CND
Performance
One of the best little amps I’ve ever heard. Very simple to use. Great as a practice or studio amp. Awesome as a direct recording pre-amp. Tech 21 knows about good tone. Does what is advertised.
Performance Rating: 10
Sound Quality
I primarily use my Fender Ash Strat with Seymour Duncans with this amp. Gives all the sweet Strat tones I need. From bright clears to growly overdrive, I love the sound. The modeling is dead-on in my opinion.
Sound Quality Rating: 10
Construction
So far so good. Seems sturdy enough, certainly lighter than a small Fender tube. Nice boutique type look and made in USA! Tech 21 got back to me with a question and a extra manual the same day as I sent an E-mail. They seem to be very good at customer service.
Construction Rating: 10

Name: -----
Band: -----
Model Year: 2001
Price Paid: $190
Performance
This amp is amazing. 14 lbs. Direct out. Analog modeling. Spring reverb. Quiet electronics. Perfect small amp, absolutely flawless design for direct recording. May be the most under-appreciated, least-known, over-achieving AFFORDABLE q-u-a-l-i-t-y amp available.
Performance Rating: 10
Sound Quality
Does not sound “just like” a Marshall Plexi/4x12 stack, Vox AC30, Mesa Boogie whatever or a Fender tweed fill-in-the -blank. It does have a nice, pure quality sound that sure is impressive for an 8“ speaker. The SansAmp GT2 circuitry gives a choice of 18 “character” settings which emulate the usual popular/famous tube styles. The “Drive” control allows a nice range of useable distortion influence with any of the settings. This baby can really warm it up at realistic sound levels — small rooms, home studio, garage/basement (not designed to power-up the Stones on stage). I dabble in jazz, blues, mostly blues-rock, and I’m way-pleased with what this amp does (Wouldn’t personally know how well it works for today’s indie-emo-industrial-death-punk stuff, but my son says he likes it just fine.)
Sound Quality Rating: 10
Construction
I own 7 combo amps, 2 heads and 2 cabs. This amp is the smallest. It gets used the most . It doesn’t rattle, squeal, or burp. I flip the switch to ON, the light lights up. Every time. Hundreds of times. Go figure. Made in the U.S. of A.
Construction Rating: 6

Name: Mcdee
Band: -----
Model Year: 2001
Price Paid: $300
Performance
For recording and practicing it does what it is advertised to do very well. I have no faults after I repaired the reverb. Tech 21 sent me two with same problem. The problem was solderless connectors, but that got fixed with a solder gun, and I have had no problems since.
Performance Rating: 10
Sound Quality
A lot of great tones. Limited on clean sounds — not very much head room. The reverb is good. I like it, but no surf drip. A bright reveb that does well for blues and distortion setting. You can really tweak a lot of tone out of this, it takes some time though. It is not a boxey sounding amp for such a small size. It’s defentinely for practicing and recording with a real good line out. It’s the best practice amp I have ever had and I am considering using it live with the line out. Most players I think will like this unless your only into clean sounds, then you would want something else. My only gripe is the Marshall sound could be a little less brite.
Sound Quality Rating: 8
Construction
Well, well designed but I think Tech 21 should check these better. I had reverb problems with two of them. But it was an easy fix and I am glad I did it.
Construction Rating: 7