 Rank: Administration  Medals: Groups: Administrators
Joined: 8/4/2009(UTC) Posts: 1,937 Points: 5,566 Location: Allen, TX
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I've had a Tech 21 Trademark 60 for right around 10 years and it has really been the gold standard by which I measure all other amps. There have been many which have beat it in specific areas but nothing which beats the total package. I gotta say, this really is an amp I don't think I could ever sell (though I've come close to making the grave error several times during honeymoon periods with a couple other very fine amps). Anyone other lovers out there? EDIT: Finally got the TM60 Video up on Youtube.
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Rank: Newbie  Groups: Registered
Joined: 8/17/2009(UTC) Posts: 4 Points: 12
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I've had the TM-60 for about 5 years and definitely think it's the ultimate SS amp out there. Very reasonable price, too - $600 new, but on eBay around $450. I don't really like the Punch/Growl/Bite/Weep labels on the knobs. I play Blues and Classic Rock ... typically keep it on Channel 1, no Bite, Drive at 1:30 and Punch at 11:00. I only use Channel 2 for BTO, Badfinger - kind of a hybrid Marshall/Vox type sound.
Do you use the Bite/Weep buttons?
I went out and played several of the Fender tube amps and just didn't hear one that was as versatile as the TM-60. I do like the clean tube amp sound. That's a hard one to emulate on an SS amp. I use the Keeley modded Blues Driver and can get close to it, but it doesn't have that sweet spot that a tube amp does.
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Rank: Administration Medals: Groups: Administrators
Joined: 8/4/2009(UTC) Posts: 1,937 Points: 5,566 Location: Allen, TX
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Victor wrote:I've had the TM-60 for about 5 years and definitely think it's the ultimate SS amp out there. Very reasonable price, too - $600 new, but on eBay around $450. I don't really like the Punch/Growl/Bite/Weep labels on the knobs. I play Blues and Classic Rock ... typically keep it on Channel 1, no Bite, Drive at 1:30 and Punch at 11:00. I only use Channel 2 for BTO, Badfinger - kind of a hybrid Marshall/Vox type sound.
Do you use the Bite/Weep buttons?
I went out and played several of the Fender tube amps and just didn't hear one that was as versatile as the TM-60. I do like the clean tube amp sound. That's a hard one to emulate on an SS amp. I use the Keeley modded Blues Driver and can get close to it, but it doesn't have that sweet spot that a tube amp does. Never use the weep button. Not sure why they even included it as it sounds extremely unnatural to me. They should have added a mid or treble boost instead on channel 2. I used to use the bite on the cleaner channel but when you use it it's difficult to get a usable sound out of the second channel to to the dramatically different responses of channels. Feeding the TM60 a compressor will get you closer to the spongier response of a class AB tube amp (like the wonderfully spongy Classic 30) but I think it sounds darn nice on it's own. I set the "clean" channel similarly to you with the gain just over noon but the punch down around 9:00 and set the eq to fit my mood. I really wish they'd come out with a sequel to the amp which is the same but with dedicated tone controls on each channel. That would be absolutely killer... | | Check out my music: http://willchentrio.com | http://www.reverbnation.com/willchentrio |
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Rank: Newbie Groups: Registered
Joined: 8/17/2009(UTC) Posts: 4 Points: 12
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Tried the Boss Compressor and your settings on Channel 1 and I see what you mean. It does get a rounder, thicker tone. One other note: A friend of mine turned me on to the Seymour Duncan Pickup Booster, made specifically to boost single coil pickups. If you're a Strat player, it's a must have AND it's only $80 on Musician's Friend. I played around with it last night with the Gain at about 10:00 and the Pickup Resonance on 1 and it really fattens the tone for a full clean boost. If you're not careful it can get shrill, so take it easy on the Treble. I didn't turn the compression on, because I think that defeats the purpose of the Booster. The manual recommends making it the first pedal in the chain. I haven't really played around with the other settings, but I do like the clean boost. Here's a pretty good video demo (although the finger pointing gets annoying): seymour duncan pickup booster
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Rank: Newbie Groups: Registered
Joined: 10/20/2009(UTC) Posts: 3 Points: 9 Location: Minneapolis
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I'm late to the conversation, but I wanted to chime in regarding this amplifier. I bought mine used as a return for $300 - and what a steal it was. It's a great sounding amp, and once it's dialed in, you can't find a better sounding amp for the price - tube or otherwise.
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Rank: Administration Medals: Groups: Administrators
Joined: 8/4/2009(UTC) Posts: 1,937 Points: 5,566 Location: Allen, TX
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I've got a rehearsal tonight with a rock trio I'm trying to get off the ground and I was trying to decide between the Trademark 60 and Bandit 112. After playing both amps for a while in conjunction with a TS9, I'm deciding to bring out the TM 60 tonight. Seems to take the TS9 a bit better than the Bandit. I go through phases with the amp where some of it's short comings begin to annoy me. But I just can't walk away from it, just sounds so sweet when dialed in. | | Check out my music: http://willchentrio.com | http://www.reverbnation.com/willchentrio |
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Rank: Administration Medals: Groups: Administrators
Joined: 8/4/2009(UTC) Posts: 1,937 Points: 5,566 Location: Allen, TX
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Well, the TM60 performed beautifully as usual. However, I'd forgotten how resistant that amp is to feedback. I had my PRS SE Single cut literally touching the speaker grill and nothing. Really freakish. I ended up using the lead channel the vast majority of the night with all the channel controls close to noon and the master high close to 3 o'clock and used the guitars volume knob to clean thing up a bit when necessary. I tell you, after having the foot switchable clean boost on this amp for solos I'll never own another amp again without that feature. | | Check out my music: http://willchentrio.com | http://www.reverbnation.com/willchentrio |
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Rank: Newbie Groups: Registered
Joined: 10/29/2009(UTC) Posts: 6 Points: 18 Location: PA
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I've had mine about 5 years. Great, Great amp. I play Jazz and Blues, and every time I get an itch for a new amp, this thing will get the sound I want! I don't use it alone, however, I split the signal with a radial engineering splitter and 1 signal goes to the Tech 21, and the other to a Digitech RP 50 on a tweed setting to a Genz Benz Shenandoah. They mix nicely for my taste.
The "TECH 21" Logo broke, and when I e-maile dthe company, they responded that day and sent out a new, metal logo for free. Great customer service!
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Rank: Strummer Groups: Registered
Joined: 10/13/2009(UTC) Posts: 46 Points: 138
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Never played the TM60 but have used the TM10 and 30 quite a bit in the past, and they both are excellent. Great for recording, thanks to the balanced XLR out, and the analog emulations are pretty accurate. One problem I noticed on the TM10 (and I have heard this also for some of the other Sans Amp amps) is that the speaker seems to be a bit underpowered for the amp's capacity. I like amp distortion but I get nervous over speaker distortion. Anyone else have that problem?
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Rank: Administration Medals: Groups: Administrators
Joined: 8/4/2009(UTC) Posts: 1,937 Points: 5,566 Location: Allen, TX
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JohnSS wrote:Never played the TM60 but have used the TM10 and 30 quite a bit in the past, and they both are excellent. Great for recording, thanks to the balanced XLR out, and the analog emulations are pretty accurate. One problem I noticed on the TM10 (and I have heard this also for some of the other Sans Amp amps) is that the speaker seems to be a bit underpowered for the amp's capacity. I like amp distortion but I get nervous over speaker distortion. Anyone else have that problem? My TM60 is one of the original series with the custom labeled Tech 21 speaker. That speaker is a great match to the amp with excellent headroom. It's louder than some solid state amps I've played rated at 100 watts and held it's own unmiced in a band where the second guitarist used a Marshall Valvestate half stack. I haven't played the newer series with the Celestion 70/80 thoug. | | Check out my music: http://willchentrio.com | http://www.reverbnation.com/willchentrio |
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