Tech 21 solid state amps??

[semi-hollowbody]

Anyone have one?
Opinions?

[mikethedigimon]

I've got the Trademark 60. It has awesome cleans, I used to use it in my high school jazz band, but I've always found the distortion channel to be not that great.

[Mercury25]

I've owned 2 Trademark 60's...I can't remember WHY I sold them, they are great sounding amps for the price!

[teemuk]

Good enough for Les Paul.

[hading]

I've got a Trademark 10 that I bought pretty soon after they came out (before they realized how popular they were and raised the price, even ).

I think it's nice for what it is. Gets a lot of different, decent sounds. Doesn't sound like, say, a Pritchard, but who'd expect it to?

[dr.slide]

i have the tech 21 power engine, use it with my pod 2.0, the models finally sounded like what they should..

[Japhyfish]

I have the tech 21 trademark 60 as a reliable backup for a bf pro reverb. It is great for any size gig (send the direct tout to PA for bigger venues) I've used it for different sized groups (duos to 15 piece big bands) It has a good straight ahead sound (very close to vintage fender), nice reverb, and in small package. I am happy with my Strat & ES-175 thru it as long as I stay with channel 1.

No maintenance problems to deal with either. It may sound crazy but I actually had a situation where I was playing it while the house I was living in was hit by lightning. Actually happened, no BS. Bang - lights out, amp off, blew a couple lights in the house & some shingles off the side of the house, but the only outcome to the amp was a fried fuse. Replaced fuse for next to nothing and it works like new. Nothing wrong with guitar or amp afterward. RELIABLE AMP for sure.

I like the 1st channel for the fender tones. The second channel is set up for compressed overdriven vox, marshall, mesa boogie sounds. If you're into that queen we will rock you solo sound or recent santana- it nails the overdrive solos - settings are in the manual. Fun, but not really something I need for any of the gigs I play.

Alot of options for different sounds yet not so easily utilized on the bandstand - the channel switching shared the tone settings so you really had to stick with one sound on the gig (or spend time dialing up some others when you switched over). My main problem with it is you can not set it up to footswitch from clean fender bf tone to a overdriven tweed sound. Fender tones are all in one channel, so you're forced to manually dial it up. Effects loop s great.

They were popular several years ago, so now they won't run you all that much $$$. good luck.

[ElDiabloBlanco]

I have two. Solid, reliable, channel one sounds great, all of the above. These days I use them as virtual Power Engines to amplify my M9 into a Liverpool Character pedal ( straight into the effects return).

[guitarman_nebr]

i keep a Trademark 60 on hand as my backup rig. they sound decent and are extremely reliable.

it sounds better than a lot of lower priced tube amps.

the tech support is second to none. they are great people at Tech 21. give them a call if you have questions and you will see what i mean.

[xntrick]

Originally Posted by mikethedigimon

I've got the Trademark 60. It has awesome cleans, I used to use it in my high school jazz band, but I've always found the distortion channel to be not that great.

my sentiments exactly, the cleans are amazing..the amp really came alive when i changed the stock speaker to a Wizard but the 2nd channel is still weak...

[ksandvik]

I had a TM 30 for six months. The clean/Fender channel was awesome, the others kind of OK. Biggest problem with a TM30 is that it's just not loud enough if you play in a band scenario. You need to use the DI to an amp and barely hear yourself on-stage. I was hoping to take it to jams, 14 pounds, but could not compete with the tube and Bandit guitar players...

[david(j)]

Originally Posted by ElDiabloBlanco

I have two. Solid, reliable, channel one sounds great, all of the above. These days I use them as virtual Power Engines to amplify my M9 into a Liverpool Character pedal ( straight into the effects return).

that's an awesome idea. i bet it sounds phenomenal, too.

those character pedals are impressive.

i'm tempted by a tm60 for a pedal platform.

[b2sc]

I've owned the TM10 and also a TM60 based on my experience with the TM10.

The TM60 didn't sound as good as the TM10, and it didn't get nearly as loud as I would have hoped for a 60W SS amp.

The reverbs, DI and channel switching were all nice features of the larger amp, but I'll keep my TM10 as a practice amp to play along w/CDs for a long time to come... It records very well too, with the DI.

[Steve Z]

Last year I saw a jazz band playing and the guitarist was using a Gibson Es-175 into a TM60... excellent clean warm jazz tone. I have been tempted to get one ever since. As others have stated, the xlr direct out is great for going direct to the PA system.

[ksandvik]

Originally Posted by b2sc

I've owned the TM10 and also a TM60 based on my experience with the TM10.

The TM60 didn't sound as good as the TM10, and it didn't get nearly as loud as I would have hoped for a 60W SS amp.

Yes, I think the curse with TM30 (and TM60s) is that they are solid state, working in a band environment, especially with other players using tube amps or a loud drummer or huge bass gig, hard to cut through. If they increased the SS wattage so it was doubled, maybe that would work much better. With class-D technology it is easy to go beyond 150W today and still keep the units light-weight. Either that or tell the other band members to decrease their volume levels.