Tech 21 SansAmp GT2

slightly more complicated than the overage OD/dist. pedal, but not much. it just has more features. it is very, very easy to get good sound out of the GT-2, I don't think there's a bad sound in the box.

The sound quality on these pedals is great. Roaring. I never used the direct out, just used it as a pedal in front of my amp, even when recording. Settings have been reviewed to death, and I've played through this pedal on a Fender strat (single coils), Gibson blueshawk (p90s), Gibson SG special (humbs) Washburn WI66 Pro (duncan humbs), and the sound remains pretty consistent. That's something to consider about this pedal, it functions somewhat as a regulator of your sound. You pick the setting, adjust the parameter controls, and that's how you sound. In a sense, it's really limited in that way, but also not. You are free to select from several rich, detailed, high-quality sounds, but only those. There are advantages and disadvantages to pedals which function that way. But this pedal does what it does very well. I haven't heard many distortions which sound as good. I had one and ultimately replaced it with a Zoom Hyper-Lead (because I wanted more tonal variety), but I miss it and wish I hadn't needed to sell it to raise $$. It does add some noise, but a fairly low amount. Huge amounts of chunky gain, great for palm-muting. great for boosts and solos, great all around. If you don't mind there being a sort of same-ness to your sound, its all the OD/distortion you'll need.

solid

eh, no idea

I play many varieties of rock, and have done so for many years. As I said, I did sell this pedal eventually, but I do want people to know how good it is. I might get another one some day, when I have a surplus of money. It is really useful, as it becomes your portable backup amp in a pinch. I dissed many a distortion pedal in my search for a proper over-the-top high-gain pedal. I used this one happily for quite a while for rehearsals, live shows and recording. I had been using a keeley-modded Rat II, and then a Boss MZ-2 Digital Metalizer, but they were both too noisy in their own way. The Rat would feed back or muddy up when I needed it to cut through. The MZ-2 is a cool pedal, but limited in its own sonic capabilities. It is great for solos, and that's about it. After using those I kept this one for a long time once I had it. But as I said above, I eventually wanted something with more variety of sound and got the Hyper-Lead, which is a bit noisier, but has more gain on tap coupled with a massive EQ section. But that shouldn't discourage anyone from getting one of these. I used mine with both a solid state Sunn amp and a Carvin Tube amp, as well as smaller practice amps, it brings the sound pretty much no matter what. That's one of the great things about this pedal, as long as it's on, you sound good. Even if what you're playing is crap, the tone will be good!

Easy to use, easy to experiment with, but no ability to save and recall multiple settings / tones. Thus, limited for live use unless you either want to use it for one tone, an overdrive pedal, or don't mind bending over to change settings between songs.

For direct record and live direct into the board of clean to slightly dirty Fender-ish tones, it is exceptional. Use it with a custom Strat with Fender Fat 50's pickups. Middle and neck pickup position. In this tonal area, actually edges out the best tweaked out Boss-GT8 tones I can muster. For direct record I feel it is right there with any miked amp Fender setup, which is saying alot. Not as impressed with higher gain settings as I just cannot get the same pick attack, harmonics and overall dimension as my GT-8. My current setup is to use the SansAmp GT-2 in the GT-8 effects loop for clean fender tones and turn off the GT-8 preamp. Just use the fantastic GT-8 effects for these Fender tones. Switch it out and use the GT-8 for higher gain.

One big plus with SansAmp product are the dynamics. I have not used a digital modeler that has the same pick dynamics / sensitivity, which really adds to how much you expression you put into your playing.

Built like a grenade proof brick.

Have not had to use customer support and probably never will due to the quality of construction

I have owned the GT-2 for about 3 years and had been using it as a backup to my amp modeller for cover gigs where I needed to plug into the house PA. More recently, it has become a mainstay with my Boss GT-8 for classic clean Fender tones from surf to SRV to Hendrix. Highly recommended as a direct record tool, but don't expect this thing to blow your socks off on higher distortion settings. Have also used this very successfully as a bass DI for recording. Again, very dynamic box. I was a SansAmp PS-2A owner for awhile, and while the GT-2 supposedly has the same core circuitry, the PS-2A seemed better in terms of being able to dial up higher gain tones and not lose clarity or pick attack.

It's very easy to use. Just plug-in, set the switches, turn up/down the knobs... and go...

Solid state, but great tone... even when I use cheap amps...

I bought it about 8 years ago... and it still works great...

There so many set-up samples out there in the internet, including in the official site... however, I've never had to repair my pedal... so no comment...

If you play rock/metal style of music... buy it... you won't be regret... very useful when we have to play in a gig/stage and don't really happy with the internal preamps aof the guitar amps...

The unit is very easy to use, although you need to play with it to see what settings suit you best. With 3 modeling switches, level/gain and treble/bass knobs the number of possibilities is really enormous. The small instruction an on-line help may be a good inspiration for starters.

I have not found a match for the sound of this little stomp box. I have 2 guitars: les paul and a the evil (EVL) cort. I am using these to play different kinds of music, and with both this thing sounds great. It is very versatile - from warm bluesy/jazzy to really hot and screaming overdrives. I am not comparing it against the amps it tries to emulate - i think it has the tone of its own, and I like it. I like it very much.

I own the unit for several years (6) now, and unfortunately I had maintenance problems. First: 2 out of 4 O.A's burned :/ Probably because of my power supply that was connected the wrong way (mixed polarization). I think Sansamp should foresee such situation and provide some safety circuit. Then the knobs started to generate noise during adjustments. Then (maybe because of the repair) the unit seamed to be stuck when using the treble knob at more than 3/4. Finally the switch broke. Sometimes one could turn it on, but could not turn it off. Sometimes one couldn't turn on it at all. It was random. I was not using it during live performances so I would expect a better durability. I think I've reached the bottom line and decided to buy a replacement.

No customer support in Europe, although they (SansAmp) do respond to e-mails. Fortunately, I have found a person who made a copy of the device based on the circuit diagrams available on the net, and he was able to help me when it broke down for the first time.

All in all I love the sound of GT2, and even though it failed several times I've decided to buy a second one (I'll try to use it more gently). I've loved it, since the first time I've heard it, so maybe it's more sentimental than reasonable ;)

I just plugged it in and it sounds great. every setting is good.. I use a lot of Fender crunch.

no noise, all good

bought it used about five years ago, still in mint condition.

n/a

pop rock metal folk acoustic, american tele's les paul deluxe, mex strat heritage 555, guild x150 etc. taylor Gibson etc. playing 35+ years.

many amps. JTM 45, Fender Deluxe, etc... sold all vintage gear, prefer new. Recently got Vox Tonelab, interesting fun neat sounds, use it with headphones, stereo power amp and 1960a cab in stereo.

Lacks the punch of sans amp.

There are countless possibilities with this pedal, but it's still very easy to use.

The most important thing. This is the best distortion pedal I've ever owned and I must admit, I've owned at least fifteen different dist pedals including even some boutique pedals like EMMA ReezaFratZiz (or whatever it was). The problem with the dist/od pedals is the low end. Traditional pedals like Ibanez TS-9 don't have enough low end and then some, like EMMA, have low end, but are muddy and not suitable for palm muting etc. GT-2 is the best in this area and it's also sounds very good otherwise. I also have Tech 21 Tri A.C. which is an excellent pedal, too plus you can store three settings. The Tri A.C. is more traditional sounding (also very good overdrive sound) and the GT-2 is somewhat heavier in sound. I'm so glad I found these Tech 21 products, because they make me play better. Tech 21 also produces not-so-good pedals like the DD3x. You can't palm mute with that one, that's for sure.

Never a problem with a Tech 21 product.

No need to deal with them.

I play all kinds of rock from classic rock to progressive and heavy metal. I've been playing for twenty years, so I guess I know something about good sounds (and bad ones). I have two of these and I'd buy two new ones if they were stolen. I must have one for rehearsals and one for home use. I love its sound and versatility. Also very good for recording guitars. There is nothing I hate about it. Of course every pedal could be more silent, but noise isn't really a problem for me. If you want good sounds and if you use palm mutings, then buy this one. Now.

Extremely easy to use. if you don't know what the switches mean, just move them and you'll find out.

also, if you go to the website, there are complete instructions and sample settings.

www.tech21nyc.com

sound quality is very good, sounds much better than a distortion or overdrive stompbox. very versatile as well, although it is difficult when trying to achieve a sound that lies between the switches. low and high EQ slightly remedy this, although i don't mess with them very much. the direct out is unspeakably useful, especially when i can't bring my amp or need to record a quick riff without setting up an amp and mics.

probably the thing that amazes me most is its ability to create massive, controllable feedback. when used through a tube amp with moderate distortion (into the input, not the FX loop), the sansamp can generate massive amounts of gain without making the sound muddy or fuzzy. the direct out makes this possible, bringing new life to the gt2.

i can absolutely depend on the gt2, and would gig without a backup, providing that i change the battery before the gig. the gt2 doesn't eat batteries, and the light begins to dim long before the sound quality, but a lack of true bypass means that when the battery runs out, so does your tone; however, no bypass means a soft switch for noiseless switching, which is definitely a plus.

the outside is rugged and has no scratches, even after buying it used and using it extensively myself.

haven't dealt with customer support. i bought it on ebay without a manual, but i went to the manufacturer's website, and it had explanations for everything, sample settings for guitars as well as bass guitars through the gt2, and sound samples for each of the settings. i don't expect to talk to customer support anytime soon.

the sansamp gt2 is a great, versatile piece of equipment. the direct out is my favorite feature, and the switches and knobs make it very easy to operate and enjoy. i play a epiphone les paul with installed PRS HFS and Vintage Bass pickups. i play all kinds of music: hard rock that is almost, but not quite metal, some moderate-gain alternative rock, and some soft, quiet songs that have been rocked over-the-top using the gt2.

if it were stolen, i would not buy another one, simply because i have an amp to use now. when i purchased the gt2, i had a crappy boss ds-1 through a broken fender amp. the use of the gt2 as a feedback box means i can still use it after buying a tube amp.

i paid about half the price of the retail gt2, since i got it used, but the retail price isn't too bad anyway, considering what you get.
if you can find one on ebay, buy it.

a monkey could get a good aound out of this box in no time...
i can't believe how stupid you have to be to make this one sound like crap... well, or genius.
i have to admit that a little fiddling is needed to get the sound you want...
i have mine for more than a year now.

i play in a black metal band (as for our style think disiplin, mayhem, gehenna, satyricon). we don't have any clean parts anyway, so i plug the gt2 straight into the return of my marshall jcm900 mkIII model 2500 and unleash hell right away. i think plugging into the return of your amp is the only way to play live with it and get a reasonable sound. never tried it the direct way into the mixer. i got tired of my old distortion pedal (marshall jackhammer) and wanted a really basic preamp for some corpsecrushing high gain. there it was.
i use a customized ibanez rg 470 (emg-81 and some other stuff) and a marshall 1960 4x12" cab with it and get a fat and roaring but nevertheless defined sound.
try fucking around with the settings a bit to get your desired sound... using a tube power amp you have to be careful not to get an overly saturated sound. but if you know how to use it the right way you'll never want anything else again.
i especially like it when mic is set to "off axis", mod "high gain" and amp "british" or "california"... cuts through like a fucking chainsaw. ROOOAAAR :P

it always sits on top of my stack, so i never stomped it anyway. seems reliable though.

never dealt with them.

for my style, this including my amp and guitar setup sure is the perfect match for me. been playing for 12 years now. i also have a fender telecaster and a gibson sg which i don't use for the black metal stuff...
i was surprised how such a rather cheap unit could shape my sound that much and enjoyable. if it were lost or stolen i'd definitely buy another one. it's the easiest thing for me... i just plug in it and sound great.

Amazing sound!!!! With a little tweaking of EQ and your amp,your sounds will not only be tonally superior,natural and full,..but CONSISTENT!!!

All sounds are achieved as I desire. I am a session recording artist. My main guitars are MUSICMAN Luke, and Jap strats,USA Strats, Gibson, Tom Anderson. My amps are Mesa Single Rectifiers for live use but in the studio I have a plethero to choose from..Fenders,Marshall,Bogner, Matcless,...You get the Idea...The Sansamp is easy and Natural sounding...I have owned many distortion unitsie: Ibanez,Maxon,Tonebones,Keeley,Boss,mxr/cae....This is the most consistent pedal and offers the most sonic character..Superior in many ways ....

Built like a tank..Used in many road gigs /tours on my pedal board and in the studio!!

Excellent!!!!!

Dissapointed with some prior reviews...I feel this pedal is "Superior" and I would buy anoy=ther if it were stolen...Often these reviews are put out by novices who cant get there tone right because of many variables,...Ususlly crap equipment or the lack of musical creativity in how to use it...TONE comes from you,...not neccesarilly all your gear (however it does help)..

The manual has some great starter positions for presets. The character switches are fairly strait forward, and the 4 knobs; drive, high, low, level are as well.

All the knobs interact with each other as well as the character switches so expect to sit down and take part of a tweakers dream.

The universal output is nice, but its 1/4" so you'll need to go strait to a 1/4" on a mixer or get a DI of some kind to use it with XLR (mic cables) connectors.

There are ALOT of distortion sounds in this little box, and it does all of them well. It produces great amp like distortion for gigging direct or recording. The only thing it really lacks against a real tube amp would be the infamous tube sag/swell that a tube amp can do if setup properly.

The Input is very sensitive, so be sure to play with your guitar volume while carving tones out. Pickup selection is key as the box can easily be setup to be very transparent.

I have read other reviews complaining about noise, and while I have had noise come through the box it was only amplifying what it was given. Before you tag it noisy switch to a humbucker or dual singles on your pickup selector before you pass judgment on a noisy setting.

It seems to be built well, only time will tell. I'm not very hard on equipment. I'm sure it will be fine. The metal seems thinner and lighter than most, but I don't know what the quality of the metal is so it may be the strongest box out there for all I know.

Tech 21 Shines in this regard, I exchanged emails with them about this product and many others before I ever made a purchase. Friendly fast and informative.

I picked up this box to use direct in live applications, it does its job very well. The best direct sounds I have heard from any box, period. Whether it be from a emulated line out on an amp or a POD or whatever, top notch sound quality. Getting clean sounds out of it can be a bit tricky at times, but if one turns the drive all the way down and watches ones guitar volume its fairly easy to boost the signal to the mixer with the level control.

I like to play with power and an expansive range of expression from a single setting or channel with my rig. This box allows me to go from glistening harp like clean tones to mesa roar all done by me just changing my attack on the strings. Not to many amps can do it exactly how I like much less direct, the GT-2 has been the best at it so far.

Go here to check out other settings besides the ones in the manual:

http://milaa.tripod.com/SansAmpGT2/