Simon_F
Super Moderator
After reading so many good things about them (not least from PUCKBOY99 
) I recently invested in a Tech 21 Trademark 60 combo. I've been feeling lately that my amps are over-sized for the majority of gigs I play (pubs, clubs and parties). I want something small and portable that will give me a good tone at rehearsal and small gig volumes. I considered the Vox Valvetronix range, both the combos and the Tonelab SE, but decided against them in the end, the main reasons being:
- I'm a helpless knob tweaker. :saeek: I rarely leave my amp settings the same from one session to the next. What worries me about pre-stored patches is that if I suddenly find I'm not sounding good I've got a lot of tweaking to do - not good when you're trying to set up quickly in a pub.
- The Valvetronix stuff has a shedload of amp/cab models and effects. That's a good thing, but I don't feel I need that much functionality. A slightly dirty clean channel, a slightly clean dirty channel and the ability to get a bit louder for solos are basically all I need (provided the sounds are good).
The Tech 21 has enough good press that I thought I'd take the plunge.
Overview of features
60 watt solid state 1x12 combo
Analog circuitry, i.e. tube emulation, not digital modelling
Channel 1 - clean to dirty "Fender" sounds
Channel 2 - dirty "Marshall", "Vox" and "Mesa" sounds
Boost facility for solos - up to 9dB volume boost on either channel
Full length Accutronics 6-spring reverb
Footswitchable effects loop
SansAmp XLR direct output for PA or recording
Read/hear more at: http://www.tech21nyc.com/tm60.html
In use
The TM60 doesn't have a lot of knobs. There are ten in total plus a few in/out buttons. At first sight it's a little confusing with unfamiliar labels like Bite, Growl, Punch and Weep (sounds like an evening in with my dog :laugh2: ) but the owner's manual has diagrams of sample settings with helpful names like Clean Fender, Dirty Marshall, SRV, Metallica, BB King Blues, Van Halen I, Clapton Bluesbreaker, George Benson Jazz and so on. There's something there to give most players a starting point to work with. I chose BB King Blues on CH1 and Clapton Bluesbreaker on CH2 to start with, but added a little extra gain to each. Then I took it along to band practice...
CH1 - This is awesome! I like to have a channel that's clean enough to play jazzy chords in the neck position but also dirty enough that it breaks up when I hit it hard in the bridge position. I got what I wanted straight away. It has depth, it has spank. Tweaked things around a bit but couldn't really get a bad sound! :32:
CH2 - Has a lot more gain on tap than I ever use, and with hindsight I think I had it set too high lastnight. Like CH1 it has a very convincing tube feel to the breakup, but I was struggling to get the EQ where I wanted it. I put this down to lack of familiarity with the controls - very different to working a Marshall! The controls are all active and a little bit goes a long way. I really need to spend some time exploring the relationship between the Growl knob (controls the amount, if any, of mid scoop), the Weep button (thickens second-order harmonics if I remember correctly) and the master high and low EQ knobs. I've played with some of the sample settings on this channel and can see there are plenty of great tones in there, I just need to invest more time in dialling in my own sound. Will report back on this! :22:
Boost - This is one of the features that sold this amp to me. I play quite a lot of small gigs where there is no sound engineer to boost my level for a solo. This function provides an adjustable footswitchable volume boost that works on either channel. It's like using an equalizer in the loop with the EQ flat but the level up to get a boost. Works a treat.
continues..........
) I recently invested in a Tech 21 Trademark 60 combo. I've been feeling lately that my amps are over-sized for the majority of gigs I play (pubs, clubs and parties). I want something small and portable that will give me a good tone at rehearsal and small gig volumes. I considered the Vox Valvetronix range, both the combos and the Tonelab SE, but decided against them in the end, the main reasons being:- I'm a helpless knob tweaker. :saeek: I rarely leave my amp settings the same from one session to the next. What worries me about pre-stored patches is that if I suddenly find I'm not sounding good I've got a lot of tweaking to do - not good when you're trying to set up quickly in a pub.
- The Valvetronix stuff has a shedload of amp/cab models and effects. That's a good thing, but I don't feel I need that much functionality. A slightly dirty clean channel, a slightly clean dirty channel and the ability to get a bit louder for solos are basically all I need (provided the sounds are good).
The Tech 21 has enough good press that I thought I'd take the plunge.
Overview of features
60 watt solid state 1x12 combo
Analog circuitry, i.e. tube emulation, not digital modelling
Channel 1 - clean to dirty "Fender" sounds
Channel 2 - dirty "Marshall", "Vox" and "Mesa" sounds
Boost facility for solos - up to 9dB volume boost on either channel
Full length Accutronics 6-spring reverb
Footswitchable effects loop
SansAmp XLR direct output for PA or recording
Read/hear more at: http://www.tech21nyc.com/tm60.html
In use
The TM60 doesn't have a lot of knobs. There are ten in total plus a few in/out buttons. At first sight it's a little confusing with unfamiliar labels like Bite, Growl, Punch and Weep (sounds like an evening in with my dog :laugh2: ) but the owner's manual has diagrams of sample settings with helpful names like Clean Fender, Dirty Marshall, SRV, Metallica, BB King Blues, Van Halen I, Clapton Bluesbreaker, George Benson Jazz and so on. There's something there to give most players a starting point to work with. I chose BB King Blues on CH1 and Clapton Bluesbreaker on CH2 to start with, but added a little extra gain to each. Then I took it along to band practice...
CH1 - This is awesome! I like to have a channel that's clean enough to play jazzy chords in the neck position but also dirty enough that it breaks up when I hit it hard in the bridge position. I got what I wanted straight away. It has depth, it has spank. Tweaked things around a bit but couldn't really get a bad sound! :32:
CH2 - Has a lot more gain on tap than I ever use, and with hindsight I think I had it set too high lastnight. Like CH1 it has a very convincing tube feel to the breakup, but I was struggling to get the EQ where I wanted it. I put this down to lack of familiarity with the controls - very different to working a Marshall! The controls are all active and a little bit goes a long way. I really need to spend some time exploring the relationship between the Growl knob (controls the amount, if any, of mid scoop), the Weep button (thickens second-order harmonics if I remember correctly) and the master high and low EQ knobs. I've played with some of the sample settings on this channel and can see there are plenty of great tones in there, I just need to invest more time in dialling in my own sound. Will report back on this! :22:
Boost - This is one of the features that sold this amp to me. I play quite a lot of small gigs where there is no sound engineer to boost my level for a solo. This function provides an adjustable footswitchable volume boost that works on either channel. It's like using an equalizer in the loop with the EQ flat but the level up to get a boost. Works a treat.
continues..........
The reverb, though I don't use a lot of it, sounds great - has depth, but it's not swampy. The size and weight are just great for the ageing hernia-susceptible rocker - guitar in one hand, amp in the other, bag of leads and pedals over your shoulder and you're good to go. 
), but not each independently. Making them independently footswitchable or having Reverb in/out buttons on each channel would be better. But I guess there need to be economies of space and cost somewhere in an amp like this and this issue is a minor one for me. 
