Tech 21 Trademark 60 1x12

I bought this thing new for $399.00 on sale from a local small dealer. He apparently was blowing them out, I know not why. What a great deal! I was looking for a small amp for rehearsals and small clubs, I have a bigger Carvin Legacy 212 combo that sounds great but it's hard to control in small clubs, plus it's real heavy. This thing has turned into my main gig amp.

This amp gets great sounds, period. I have long abandoned the "tube vs. solid state" argument and have since kept an open mind and open ears when trying out new equipment. This thing has two great channels and the direct out is fantastic. Live I run it direct into the P.A. and run the P.A. e.q flat so I get the same sound out of the P.A. as I hear from my amp. Very useful. With my setup (Strat with a hotter bridge pickup) I can set the amp to get a bright, slightly edgy rythym tone and a dark, smooth overdrive. I go for Ford/Carlton type sounds and I set the Drive channel on half, and boost it with a tubescreamer or modified Boss Super Overdrive. I am very happy with this amp.

One thing, I wish the footswitch buttons weren't quite so close together, but I only switch channels anyway. I leave the reverb and boost functions on, it helps give the amp more punch on live gigs. The reverb is slightly noisy too, but I keep it at 11:00 and use a boss delay set low for added ambience.

This thing seems very well made and durable for such a small amp. It feels very solid, and now it is actually fun to load out after gigs! I may actually get another one, or a Power engine for bigger rooms and outdoor festivals and leave my huge Carvin in the basement.

The bottom line is that this is a great, little inexpensive amp that will cover many genres of music. It may be a little subdued for metal tones, but I cannot comment on that since I play mainly jazz/blues/funk stuff. Try with an open mind, you may be surprised!!

This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com

I was searching for a flexable, powerful, portable amp for gigging and recording. I'm so glad I found this amp. Purchased at McBride music in Denton, Tx for around $500.



The amp is a tone dog. It is capable of a wide range of Fender to Marshall type tones and plenty of shades in between and beyond. Although not a super high gain amp, there is enough grind and low end to cover almost any style except modern metal. Slap an overdrive in front of the high gain channel and you will be able to chunk with the best of them. When I first played this amp at bedroom volumes I worried a little about a slight lack of sustain and a tonal mismatch between the channels (channel 2 is much darker than channel 1), but the first time I cranked the amp my worries dissapeared. At high volumes the amp character changes for the better. Sustain increases and the timbre of the amp becomes smoother. At 60 watts, this amp is loud enough for rehearsals and small venues without a mic but will have to go through a PA for large clubs and outdoor shows. Having a footswitchable boost for solos is something I now rely on. I wouldn't buy another amp without this feature. And best of all, I can carry all my gear in one trip from the car. This amp weighs around thirty pounds, leaving a second hand free to carry misc items. I've had this amp for about a year and I totally love it.



On the minus side...The direct recording XLR output is kinda weak. The sounds are overly compressed and squashed sounding. It sounds good if you mix it with a miced signal, but then what is the point of recording direct. I've had to add cab sims in order to give it a little more "open" sound direct. Also, this amp is very directional. For better monitoring I usually tilt the amp or set it on top of something else.



Construction is solid and everything appears to be of very high quality. Cosmetics are great as well. It mixes the modern look of black tolex with crome amp corners with a vintage wicker grill. The grill is tough as well. I have a cat that likes to scratch my amp grills (damn him!) and the grill still looks new after a year. Controls are top mounted.



Anybody searching for great tone in a small package should really take a look at this amp. It may not have all the bells and whistles of the new modeling amps, but it's warmth and feel are great. I've owned amps from pretty much all the major manufacturers and this is my favorite one. I currently also own a Line 6 Flextone. Although the Flextone wins hands down for versitility and direct recorded tone. The Tech 21 has it beat in terms of feel, warmth, bass response at high volumes, and over all tone. I'm very picky about my amp and although not perfect, it's the perfect choice for me.



This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com

I bought this excellent Amp from Mars Music for $475.00. Just saw it on display and gave it a try..Was amazed


I have tried a lot of high end tube amps to find something that I could be satisfied with (been through a lot of equipment). After doing so, I tried the Tech 21 Trademark 60 and finally found the sound I have been looking for. It is very easy to operate and can simulate the feel of many expensive name brand tube amps. I can not get over how well the clean sounds (very punchy for country music or mellow for great jazz sounds). The overdrive is also incredibly raw and mean. I also have tried the main tube simulated amp processers and found them to put out too much treble and not enough grit. This amp should be the last that I buy for a long time. I Am surprised that tech 21 doesn't get the recognition from artists for not only the direct pedals, but for these perfect sounding amps.



Could use a third channel.


Very well built. For sound quality and ruggedness.

Above all others...Foolish not to try one..Rate it 5 of 5.



This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com

Master section features active Low and High EQ controls, master Reverb and Boost. Midrange is individually controlled by Punch in Channel 1 and by Growl in Channel 2. Top-of-the-line, full-length Accutronics® 6-spring reverb. Boost function, for solos, increases the volume level up to 9dB without altering your tone. Unique Link button connects the Boost and Reverb functions to increase the size of your sound as well as the volume. Headphone output, which doubles as a 1/4” direct out. Multi-function footswitch (included) selects channels, activates the Reverb and Boost functions and engages the Effect Loop. Utilizes any standard 1/4” instrument or speaker cable.

Celestion® Seventy 80 speaker.

This is a pretty solid amp. Solidstate, but analog distortion with not many features in terms of effects, but many usable features for live use and if you have a good pedalboard you can get away with playin any gig with this amp.

UTILIZATION

It's an amp. Set the knobs, turn it on, set the levels and go for it!!

It's quite difficult to get a bad sound out of this amp if the knobs are starting all at noon.

SOUNDS

I've got to say, tech21 has been around for a long time, a very long time. Their stuff has always been very innovative and actually not too shabby for what it is. I'm not really sure why I haven't reviewed these earlier when they were 'trendy' but maybe some players will still find this useful. These amps are still around for a reason, and that is that they sound pretty damn good for what they are. The cleans I cannot get enough of, they're bright and twangy and chimey, everything you'd want it to be and it sounds great!

The distortion is where my opinion may differ from other players. Although it sounds VERY good, it is definitely not tube-like distortion. These are titled modeling amps to model after tube amps but with solidstate circuitry and although these amps are analog solidstate, it's a very good analog solidstate sound. But definitely doesn't sound like a tube amp.

Of course it depends on what you're going for, if you're a tone purist you'd probably stay away from the trademark. I personally have been able to comp some decent tones out of the T60 and wouldn't mind gigging with it in any situation if given the option. However at the same time, I think modeling has come so very far these days that the T60 is like the older 'version' that people aren't really going for anymore. There are better ones out there now that are in the same price range and might be worth looking at.

OVERALL OPINION

I think it's a decent amp. If you can pick one up for a good price go for it. But again, the technology is a tad old in terms of modeling. Because modeling has become so advanced and even closer to the real deal that the T60s are just like the older versions. So if you're a huge tone purist you may not suffice with this, or if you're looking for the newest best thing that sounds as close to a tube amp as possible this may not be your thing either. But if you're just looking for a decently priced amp with an AMAZING clean and decent distortion, this is worth looking into.