Tech 21 SansAmp GT2

Well, this stompbox-preamp is quite easy to use, it's very easy to get quite a good sound of it. Simulations are pretty understandable, no problem. Also, you can start with some settings from the manual, they are very useful to understand what does what.

I was using it in my pedalboard along with Crybaby Mister Wah/Volume or Morley Power Wah/Volume and Boss DD-20 echo/delay. GT-2 was a little noisy, it could be caused by a cheap AC adapter, but it didn't really changed when I tried a battery.
I used to plug it in the Laney VC-30 (i bought it for its superior clean sound) and with a single step on it, GT-2 made my amp really roar. Distortion can be very heavy, but with high clarity. It's also absolutely handy when you need to record something to your PC, because of the speaker simulator (it can't be switched off, but it doesn't mess up the tone in a real amp)
I think, that the biggestproblem of this preamp is big compression->its quite hard to get a clean sound of it with your guitar volume control

I personally would take it for a world tour without a backup. It is build like a tank :-)

I really didn't have to deal with Tech21's customer support

I personally play some kind of heavy/progressive rock. This unit is very good choice for music like that, it has a great rhytm and lead sound. I used to play with some kind of Mesa/Boogie simulation - very good sound, very inspiring

If I wouldn't recommended a little more dynamics, I absolutely wouldn't sold it. When it comes to PC recording, it is a very good work horse, but you know - dynamics. I bought a valve distortion pedal and now I am really happy

This is not so easy to tweek a good sound. However, it can be acheived. Hence, it comes with a manual with details on presets to assist. The control pots are very sensitive and covers a wide range of tone and drive unlike a full blown overdrive or distortion pedals.
It has the options for 3 amp models from CA to Britt to Tweed, and 3 typs of gain and speaker mic postions.

I use a dark sounding valve jr with Fender Strats. Used alone it is not noisy on the clean and tweed settings. As mentioned, the level and drive controls can go from mild to extream. I like the Tweed sound with high gain. Even with high gain it be controled to sound clean and "Tube Overdrive" with the adjustmenst of the volume control on the guitar. The manual gives you a foundation to start from and you can get real great guitar "Tone" from the Tweed settings. However, I give it a 9 because the high gain distortion does not work well with my set up, i.e., strat and tube amp. I also use a holy grail for reverb and the tone is most excellent. Also, ther is a hint of compression in the sound when played with the Tweed setting.

This model was bought used in the mid 1990s it has no battery cover and 5 digit SN 100XX. It is made in NYC with a cast box and 3pdt switch.

Unknown

For over 35 years I have played electric and acoustic guitar, and have owned all kinds of stuff. This was/is a keeper. I currently use it on a board with my Crybaby wah, TS-808, Dynacomp (for boost) stereo chours, and Holy Grail Reverb. This is all I need to get 70s rock and serious blues tone. The GT-2 stays on most of the time and I use the other effects to define the tone I seek. It is pricey, but better sounding than the digitech RP150. The RP150 did not work well with my other effects. But stand alone the RP150 can do alot, but head to head for a clean or fat Fender tone the GT2 sounds a lot better.

Easy to use. The tone controls are pretty sensitive so they must be used with care. Let your ears guide you.

This pedal has great sounds in it. I run it in front of my amp, and I get fender tones, and mesa tones that are pretty good. I don't like the marshall settings too much, but that is just me.

The poster below is clearly one of those old guys who likes to "control the grit with the volume knob..." just ignore him. If you are like him trying to play blues on your single coil strat and to regulate the gain with your volume knob while on the California setting then it is no wonder the pedal sounds bad. It isn't the pedal, but the intended use that should be reviewed here...

The pedal can sound a bit overly saturated and compressed if played in front of an all-tube amp. Again, govern yourself accordingly here, and spend the time to get the right sounds out of this pedal. They are there, you just have to find them. I also find that an EQ pedal is a must after this pedal since it has no mids control. I love metal, and love high gain, but while scooping mids might sound brutal at home, it will erase you from the mix if you play live. Do yourself a favor and invest in a good EQ such as the MXR 10 Band EQ.

So far so good. I bought this pedal used, and the user had it for 10 years!!! That says a lot to me about the quality of this pedal. I would say it is up there with Boss, MXR and Ibanez/Maxon pedals for reliability and durability.

Haven't had to talk to them, and hopefully never will.

Great pedal for what it does. I wish it had midi controls (while still retaining the all-analogue signal path) for more flexibility. That would make this pedal a true must-have.

Would I replace this pedal if I lost it? Maybe, but provably with their TRI-AC or something of the sort. I would recommend that anyone try this pedal, but if possible try it during band practice so that you figure out if how to cut through the mix. The California setting is great for that mesa sound, but then again, easy to over saturate and compress.

A noise gate may also be needed at high gain settings.

Pretty easy since you can't put the volume or drive above 12:00 or it's too noisy, so that limits your choices. Also, you can't use the british since you'll completely lose all the low end, even with the low turned all the way up, so that limits your choices.

Horrible. It simulates "amp tones" ok, but it takes away all touch sensitivity. If you're into the awful EVH sound, then you'll love this thing, but if you're an adult, looking to play adult music and not that Nu Metal crap or whatever it is, then you'll be disappointed. Buy an attenuator and a decent distortion/fuzz

Got it used to try it and see what the buzz was about. It was pretty beat up but still worked fine. I didn't have it for long, so I can't say if it would last with regular use.

Just plain bad. The tweed was he only setting that didn't produce too much noise, but that messed with the mids too much. Bad bad bad.

Juts 4 knobs with 3-way switches x 3 for Mod, Amp, and Mic. Not really hard tough, but you'll need a LITTLE bit times to get used to those controls' characters. If you already get used by it, then it's heavenly easy to get what you want!

I use my Washburn Mercury I series (I think it's already discontinued) and this "chameleonic" pedal since I was around 13 (7th Grade) until now I add Boss CH-1, Boss NS-2 (for elimetaning noise, of course), and Boss GE-7 (and more, next time) to add more wider sounds.

I got almost all DRIVE I need from this pedal, from bluesy drive to cruchy crisp to growling roar! Lately I play an Alternative Rock-kind of band and it help a lot! A little weakness is it difficult to tame when it goes WILD! lol

tank-built! Too bad I hate the on-off switch. It got troubled sometimes, like, it sometimes can't turn off! some other times, can't turn on! Maybe it just old, I hope. That's make an 8.

I buy this pedal second hand, so I didn't got any manual or even box (just a home-made box with Budweizer label, looks funny lol). When I E-mailed them for pdf version of the manual, they e-mail me back right away! Best costumer support! comparing those spoiled gear sellers in Surabaya

If I lost this pedal, maybe I'd quit playing music :'( many friends here ask if I want to sell it but my answers is : HELL NO!!! because I can't buy a new one for it's high price!

This thing is very user friendly. The manual gives a variety of ideas but using it with bass guitar I just set it and forget it.

I used it for a little distortion on bass. Although I do set it for one style, occasionally I will preset it for California or British depending on the venue. Regardless of what others may say, I personally like the speaker simulation for bass. It won't make a bad sounding instrument better but it will give you what you want with a good sounding one.

I have 2 of these. One for backup but have never needed it. As they say, it is built like a tank and never fails me.

Every time I've dealt with them they have been very accommidating but they won't give up their secrets.

I started playing bass in the 60's but I still like a lot of the new music especially Christian rock. I don;t use the GT2 all the time but I keep it in my pedalboard for particular songs and a bit of character. I love this little box because it beats the competition for that hint of distortion though it's capable of much more.

Easy. Knobs are obvious. Plug into mixer or into effects return of an amp. Do NOT plug into instrument input of amp.

First, let me say this: Tech21 absolutely NAILED the preamp section in this pedal. I am almost shocked. Beautiful dynamics like I've never heard in a solid-state pedal, very close to my beloved rare Crate tube amp, and you will hear them in any setup. Responds to picking beautifully, especially through the Brit setting. A MILLION times better than the digital Behringer V-Amp 2 and Line 6 AM4 in this regard. I am impressed. The power amp simulation is also not bad at all and much better than anything else I've heard.

Unfortunately, this thing has one huge gigantic pitfall: built-in speaker simulation.

Why? Two reasons:

1) The cab sim itself is complete crap. It produces fizz like plugging a ****** over-EQed distortion pedal directly into a Red Box Pro and cranking the 10Khz. It doesn't matter which of the 3 mike positions you choose, it's always there. Generally unusable for most recordings. It's IMPOSSIBLE to EQ the fizz out properly, enhancers help little but distort the flat EQ which comes out of the pedal which is actually well done and desirable but, again, plagued by fizzzzzzzzzz. You can hear it in the recordings on their site, but it's a lot worse in practice.

Some people have suggested plugging this into a separate speaker sim to tame the fizz. VERY, VERY BAD IDEA. You don't mike an amp twice; this is the effect pluggin the GT-2 into a cab sim will produce. I have Palmer, Behringer, and Red Box cab sims, and the GT-2 sounds like pure compressed **** through all of them. Instant presence-killer. Even with good EQ-ing and enhancing, a Sansamp into a second speaker sim sounds like tin compared to any decent recording. Believe me I have tried everything for months on end, because I cannot believe they ruined such a beautiful dynamic solid-state preamp with such a ****** cab simulation.

2) YOU CAN'T DISABLE THE SPEAKER SIM!!!!!! Why in the world would you want a speaker sim driving your tube power amp??? I have tried this into multiple amps' effect returns and the presence loss compared to their regular distortion is striking. I can't believe nobody else hears this. THE SANSAMP GT-2 CAN NOT BE USED IN PLACE OF A REAL PREAMP!!!!!!!! The only way you can get a GT-2 or any sansamp for that matter to sound right into an amp is if you're using a very or relatively clean power amp and cabinet, such as the ones Tech 21 themselves produce. Anything else = instant colored tin can sound, even with loads of equalization (which is what Tech 21 recommends to compensate for the simulation - yeah right).


This is really why I am writing this review. I am calling Tech 21 out on their ********. This pedal is really close to something great with its awesome preamp sim, that's true, but this "universal output" is a joke and an insult. Instead of providing separate options for the total TWO, maybe THREE possible scenarios this unit could be used in, they've created a horrible mesh of half-***** poor compromise "speaker simulation" which they're advertising as some magic solution for universal good tone. I am ashamed I have fallen for this.

Plastic, but fairly sturdy. Good enough.

I e-mailed Tech21 asking if they had a model without speaker simulation. They basically told me I was a dumbass. Either they don't know how an amp works at all, or their circuitry is one gigantic hack which happens to magically include some semblant of speaker simulation and this is why it's built into all their models and they're pretending they don't know how amps are actually supposed to be wired so they can sell it to dumbasses like me.

This pedal and the other sansamps have the potential to be the greatest, most versatile solid-state simulators ever produced. I'm serious, I have never heard a solid-state preamp section react as well as the GT-2's does. All it needs is a fourth "bypass" option on each of the sliders, to disable the speaker sim and power amp where necessary (for example, just disable the speaker sim and substitute it with my much better Palmer PDI-09, or disable the speaker sim and power amp to plug preamp-only into a tube amp's effects return, the way it's meant to be).

Instead, this pedal is remarkably limited, you're STUCK with a ****** speaker sim and power-amp simulation, making your better cab sims and tube amps sound like a joke and making it FAR from the versatile beast people claim it is. They've made the same mistake with their new 'character' series and most of their sansamps, too.

I am horribly disappointed with this pedal, simply because they came SO close to producing a great musical tool, but managed to turn into a toy for Metalzone-bashers. I give up.

easy to use, didnt have a manual as it was used but the best and hardest thing is every tiny move on the dials makes a unique sound...it really is deep, but simple to dial in...LOVE that about it. it seems a lot of the new zoom and other digital pedals takes aweek with the manual...NO FUN. basically like an old school pedal with old school sounds. blows so many past pedals away its silly.

i dont find this noisy, and i use it mostly on the tweed clean settings so...? I think i have an older version? you have to take out 4 screws to replace battery...when battery starts to die the noise appears...thats the sign folks.
After having multiple tube amps from princetons to champs to carvins to peaveys...I have found a winner...and it has no tubes! well, pretty much...heres what i mean. I love the tube sound, hate the solid state on most, but definitely not all amps. Sold all the tubers to raise funds, then found out i was out a good amp after trying the under $300 tube amp variety out there. Nothing really sounded that great and the starved=plate designs left me wanting...so I got a cheapass gx15 crate, ditched the speaker for a 12" vintage alnico and put it on clean...man it sucked. So i got this...kapow! For $150 total (crate was almost free it was used and so cheap) i got me a winner,,,,no wieners. In fact, i like the effects better than the roland microcube, which says a lot...plus you get the volume with this setup. If you get the roland, plus this setup you can pretty much cover any sound available for recording and live (mic'd for bigger venues)
effects are perfect...but i usually only use clean tweed and semi-clean california though the british does sound fine!

seems fine but i hate those type switches...though they supposedly last for a long time (russian mics usem so you know they are bombproof)
no backup needed

ahhhhh....NO....hopefully will never need to use them. Now, if you use bartolini pickups and need customer support...HAHAHAHAHA...good luck

After 25 years of hundreds of guitars, effects, amps, basses i am pared down to the essentials, and this is one of them. to give you an idea (and believe me, have owned, used, bought and sold more stuff than any used music store has at any given moment) of my setup I have (definitely not braggin here...just ended up with the best sounding basics) fender mim vintage reissue strat with duncan ssl pickups, danelectro reel echo fake tape loop box, meistersinger chorus, this box, boss extortion, roland microcube, crate gx15 POS with new speaker GREAT!, and cheapo bennet samick bass with really good pickups....cant ask for anything more or better unless a carey sound or mini-dr- tube amp comes around.
THis lil stomper fits the bill nicely, and can record direct! which i rarely do, but will prob. do more of as this sounds so GOOD direct. As good but not as deep as ampfarm...and you can hold it

Fairly easy to good a good sound out of this unit. You have to experiment to find what suits you best.

Well, the interesting thing is that I've begun to use it playing live.
I use a Fender tube amp so I don't really use Tweed settings and I also use a Tube Screamer. What this pedal now does for me is get the real high gain and crunch sounds that I've used other distortion pedals for. It is a little noisy, but for the high gain sounds I'm using it doesn't really matter.

The unit seems pretty reliable, doesn't eat batteries too quickly. The only problem I've had is the battery cover which I have had to tape.

N/A- no problems

I play I wide variety of styles and have been playing for 25 years.
I own a few amps of varying size and numerous effect. My main guitar
is a Strat also use a Tele and occasionally Les Paul Jr.

I bought this unit several years ago after it first came out. I purchased it for recording purposes and used it solely for recording.


Primarily when I use this live I'll got back and forth between the California and British settings with varying degrees of gain depending on what the song calls for.
I believe that this pedal is very underated as a distortion unit for live applications. It took me awhile to figure this out, but I certainly would recommend this to anyone seeking a pedal that will deliver a myriad of tones both vintage and modern.

Well, it's easy to work with, you quickly find out what all the knobs and switches do, but to get a good sound out of it that will take a little more dedication! the manual has all you need to know...

I'm using a Fender Telecaster and a Epiphone Black Beauty into a Crate Blue Voodoo and a Fender Twin Reverb.. The unit isn't noisy at all, I think it is the most silent I got.. But the sound quality.. I've cried rivers for the money I spent with this piece of s....t.. The only usable sound is in the California amp switch, clean setting.. the rest.. well, it costed me 250??? and my 45??? Boss DS-1 beats it in a blink!

It seems reliable, I'm even thinking of throwing it to the wall if I can't sell it real soon!

Never needed, I seldom used it..

I've been playing for 15 years now, some bands, local gigs and I own some cheap gear, except for the amps all is very cheap, and everything works real fine, this was the most expensive pedal i bought and the greatest disapointment.. if it got stolen, poor robber! couldn't use it and couldn't sell it!

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/

I have had this stompbox for about 6 years now. When i first got it, i thought it was the most marvellous gain unit ever made but over the years, i've found it to be a temperamental bitch which fluctuates depending on the amp you use, even when you dial in different settings. It's a relatively good pedal but not very user-friendly if you want a consistent sound. The pedal came with a booklet suggesting various settings. Some are spot-on, some arent. Like i said, it really depends on the amp you use. The Gt-2 is generally quite good with solid state amps though, not so much tube.

I use it with a Fender 65 reissue twin reverb and it sounds okay. Not great, but just okay. Ive tried it with Marshall JCM 2000s, 900s and 800s and it sounds like a piece of crap. Try it with a class A amp like a voc ac-30 or 60 and it's even worse. The knobs are also very sensitive. A slight shift in the High or Low knobs and your sound dramatically changes. Not very easy to mould a good sound either.

Its reliable although I started having problems with the footswitch shortly after I bought it. I would step on it and it would come on and then i'd step on it again to switch it off and it wouldn't go off. Imagine the nightmare!
The reverse also happens quite often and can be very embarassing if you're playing a live gig although i suspect this is due to my particular unit.

never dealt with anyone before.

It's a good pedal for a newbie in search of a range of sounds. but for the gigging or touring musician who has to constantly play on a variety of amps, i wouldnt recommend it. I'd recommend the Crowther Audio Hot Cake instead. It's easy to use, consistent sounding with different amps, and kicks serious tone butt.

Pretty darn near perfect and straight forward pedal with excellent sounds. Only hiss noise is if level is up too high. Tweaking it is easy.

I would use this anywhere as vital piece of studio or stage set-up.

I play hard and psychedelic fusion trance rock like Ozric Tentacles meets Tommy Bolin at a Mahavishnu Orchestra reincarnation gig. I have been abusing axes since 1967. The gear I own . . . I haven't got the time right now. If it were stolen then most likely everything else in my studio got ripped off too so I would be too crazy bummed to worry about this pedal. I wish it had a "Suicide" or "Rainbow" setting where you could dial in %'s of Fender, Marshall and Mesa-Boogie mixed together for the chimeric beast of all amps. Maybe next model??? This puppy definitely helps. I may have to sel some other pedals of mine now . . .

It's pretty straightforward and intuitive. I haven't really used the manual other than a casual glance when I first opened it.

There are basically three amp styles, three tube/gain options, and three mic placement options with gain, high, and low knobs for fine tuning. The first time I used it I fiddled with it a lot, but every subsequent time, it's a quick setup.

My main guitar is an Epiphone Les Paul Deluxe. I use the GT2 in three settings: Practicing through my Peavy Transtube Studiopro 112 (a solid-state amp), playing live direct into the PA system, and recording direct into a Tascam 2488. All three of these applications sound amazing.

Typically, I use it with a more clean- or retro-sounding setup. The Tweed amp is great for that. The first time I used it at church (coupled with a Boss TR-2 Tremelo pedal), the sound guys and the other bandmembers kept asking me what I had done to make my guitar sound so good.

I've also used the British and California settings for a harder sound when recording. It's probably the best distortion I've ever had.

When I first plugged it in, I was a bit wary of the hum it generated when engaged in my amp (at any setting this was present). I noticed this to also be the case (though to a much lesser extent) in the monitors of the church's PA system. However, the sound guys said they didn't notice it, and when I recorded into my Tascam, I didn't notice it either.

Straight up and down, this pedal has given me the BEST sound I've ever had.

I've only owned it for a couple of months, but it seems very rugged. It's solid, metal, and reassuringly heavy. This pedal has replaced my amp completely for gigging. The only reason I'd have a backup would be if I wanted two different tones (e.g. one distorted and one clean). I guess the second one wouldn't really be a backup in that case, would it?

I've never dealt with the company, so I don't know.

I love this pedal! The only thing I would like to see improved would be a way to have two presets to switch between on the fly. Two chanels, so to speak.

My guitar sound is heavily influenced by retro (think Chris Isaac's stuff) and classic rock. I haven't really tried it for other sounds yet. I've never done anything that wasn't improved upon by adding the GT2.

I've been playing guitar for 12 years now. Other than the GT2, I typically use the Boss CE-5 Chorus, TR-2 Tremelo, and DS-1 Distortion pedals with the occational Crybaby mixed in. So far, the GT2 has just made all these sound better. Last week I ditched the chorus, wah, and distortion for a simple setup of Tremelo and GT2. It was great!

I'd been looking for a good way to ditch my amp in live settings for a while. Amps are simply a pain to deal with in my opinion. I tried out the POD, but it was too expensive for the overly digital sound. I used the Zoom 505 for a while, but it's sound is definitely sub par (and my sound men HATED it's noisiness). I wish I had listened when I was told to get a Sansamp years ago (couldn't afford it at the time).

When I picked the GT2 up at my local music store, no less than five employees of the store stopped what they were doing to tell me what a good choice I had made. I couldn't agree more. Don't procrastinate like I did. At a price under $200, you'll never miss the money compared to the sound improvement.

the GT2 is dead simple to use - if you use it for its intended purpose!

like the other sansamp products, the GT2 is *not* an overdrive/distortion pedal. it is designed to recreate the entire signal path that generates the overdriven tone. this means that sending signal from the GT2 to the front end of an amp is *not* ideal. it doesn't mean it *won't* work this way, and that you *won't* find a good sound that way, it's just not the intended purpose. you can use a screwdriver to put nails in a wall, but you'd rather use a hammer, right?

i cannot stress this enough! it bugs me to see this and other sansamps getting poor reviews because someone didn't actually think about what they were doing.

for best results, you should always send the signal directly to the PA, to a power amp w/speakers, or to a very clean and preferably solid state amp, like the roland JC120. i use the GT2 along with a Tri-AC in a direct system that 99% of the time gets sent directly to the house sound without an amp on stage.

my one beef with this product is the lack of a dedicated "mid" control.

i really enjoy the sound of this pedal. for me, it picks up where the Tri-ac leaves off. where the tri-ac sounds more "vintage" the GT2 sounds more "modern." depending on the rig it will sound buzzy long before the tri-ac, but not in a way that can't be dialed out without trashing your tone. there is a ridiculous amount of gain on tap in this pedal, but not in a metal zone way - it always sounds big.

i've also dialed back the gain and used the "tweed" setting for clean sounds when recording. it's too bad that they don't make a 3-preset of this pedal, like the Tri-ac and the new double-drive 3x.

again, the only thing missing here is a dedicated mid control.

i can absolutely depend on this pedal, and this is why i continue to use tech 21. consistent, reliable sound - all the time!

see my review of the tri-ac. no one has better customer support than tech 21.

if this were stolen or lost, i would absolutely buy another. this is an integral part of my rig, both live and in the studio.

you can be sure that if/when Tech 21 releases a version of the GT2 with 3 available presets and a dedicated midrange control i will be the first person at the store!

The stomp is easy to use. The various combinations of switches make themselves clear after a bit of playing. I did find that the "Tweed" amp coupled with the "Clean" Mod settings produced a weakened, subdued model that actually was fun to toy with, by boosting the on-board Drive and using my external EQ'ing and compression. I must admit, though, that the various types of OD/distortion effects through this thing were sub-par, to me. My current amp's are a Marshall Valvestate, and an old Gibson Lab Series solid state. Needless to say, it's a bit of a "challenge" to get really good "tube" sounds with this back-end configuration. Other than a Boss and Digitech stomp, the only single device in my current "arsenal" that consistently impresses me is my Vox ToneLab. People are amazed that so many diverse, quality tones can come out of a SS amp using this thing. (I also use external comperession and graphic EQ boxes in the chain and FX loop, which i find fundamental to good live sound.) So, i know that it's a bit "unfair" to hold up the ToneLab against the Sanamp GT2 .... BUT .... then again, the ToneLab cost me less than 2x the Sansamp, but delivers 20x the net results .... so, sorry to say, the GT2 losses. It went back to the dealer for a refund.

I pretty much summed-up my results, above. I bought the GT2 and took it for a "spin". It didn't measure up. Other than having some fun with the lower-powered "Tweed" and related setting's by boosting them up to get a nice smooth drive, i was un-impressed with the OD/distortion results. The sounds were, for the most part were the characteristic brittle, not "warm". In a SS rig, it's difficult to get "quality" (?!) sounds, as compared to the "tube" experience. I CAN do it, but it takes fiddling and experimentation. The bottom line is this: if i can use a $60 Boss or Digitech stomp and get equal or better results than something that costs $160, who's going to end up under my foot?

I wasn't impressed with the construction of the GT2. It's built of light, thin metal, not heavy and sturdy like your "typical" stomp. One of the 1/4" jacks, even after just a few insertions, was working its way loose. If one is to use this box in a gig, you'd better bring a backup of some sort. In short, the "value" here is questionable. Hell, you can go out and buy a modelling practice amp for less than this box. I think this device is totally over-priced and doesn't deliver the value that active players require.

No Opinion.

I said it all above. If you're in the market for a new OD stomp, there's a variety of better choices. (Take a serious look at the Carl Martin line....i think you'll be impressed.)

The pedal's pretty easy to operate. Has a level and gain control and acive bass and high knobs.

You have three amp models, three preamp settings (clean, high gain and hot-wired) and thre mic settings (classic, center and off-axis)

And that's that

This pedal sounds good. It sounds excellent actually, better than my Vox Valvetronix. A little trebly, but good nonetheless you just have to cut the active highs)

Really good marshall and mesa sounds. You too can get that nice smooth lead tone if you want. Or if you want to play metal, this pedal has it. Just flick the switches (it's all in the manual so I won't explain exact settings) and voila!
The Fender isn't so good to my ears. It sounds really processed and unnatural.

Now here comes the bad part: This pedal is noisy!
On the clean settings, you can manage, everything is fine. But when you put it into the high-gain mode the hiss really becomes noticeable. And this is when I have the gain turned to about 35%! And don't even think of turning the active controls to 12 o'clock.
Useless for recording. Would work in live applications, but for recording...no.

If the pedal was 80 Euros cheaper, I wouldn't mind it so much. But for 170 Euros, I'd expect it not to produce so much hum.

It looks sturdy, built from steel and stuff :)

Haven't contacted them

I'd give it an eight, if it was cheaper, but for that kind of money, I don't want to as much as think about noise, let alone hear it.

Too much easy!

I run this through the fx return, playing with a Les Paul and a SG, both Gibson. SOmetimes I play with a stratocaster I have made, and it's good also. I use a Meteoro (brazillian amp) 200 w.
Man! I've been searching for this sound for all my life! Heavy, sustained, amazing! I play something near to hard rock, sometimes with the 6th string tuned in D.
Sometimes people tell me that GT-2 doesn't work well with other normal effects, like wah and something. BULLS#*T!!!!It's a great sound, doesn't matter within what.
I used to play with british position, and off-axis microfone position. The other button, I used to play with hi-gain or hot-wired.

Now, I'm using a Mesa/Boogie V-1 Bottle Rocket Tube Overdrive Pedal. Great pedal. But CRAP, if compared to GT-2.

No problem at all to me. But a friend of mine had problems with the switch.

Never tried.

In my opinion: the perfection!!! The sound I always wanted! Thanx, Tech 21!!!

This is like the classical Sansamp simulator, but with eq and more.
These sopunds are in a lot of recordings.
Dynamic (POD is not dynamic), clean, nice.
Very easy to use.
Remember:
This is an emulator,(sounds dry) and it has not the real ambience in your room or your amp. If you add ambient reverb, you will have great sounds.

If you like the Fender sound, this is your amp for recording and performances.
The Marshall sounds are great, and the California (boogie) is very good.
This is a real stuff. This is not a tale-new generation-modeling stuff.
Sounds.
I use the Marshall sounds. A very little the boogie. But i have to say, this pedal has the best Fender sound that you can get.
The Marshall sound is great for tracking, and if you want ultra boogie gain, it has it.

Several yeras.
Never problems.

This is for all styles.

Very simple and easy to use. The manual is pretty straight forward and actually has good sample settings. I wish there was "no mic model" option, that can be sort of confusing. Hence the 9.

I use it with various guitars with humbuckers. For single coil sounds I use the humbuckers in split coil.

This little box is great. I play mostly metal and it definitely shines at getting a Mesa Recto sort of sound. It is also great to brighten up the cleans and get smooth distortion for other styles. The voicing is the same for all styles, but that voice can be very versatile.

I use it with many amps, mostly for practicing. It sounds very nice with solid state amps. Tube amps, it gets too muddy.

For direct recording, I didn't like the sound right out of the box that much. However, using with Behringer GDI (4x12 simulator, DI) direct into a mixing board, it sounds really nice. Sounds just like an amp, it is amazing. Through a PA or recording, it is very nice.

Initially I got it to do scratch tracks and run DI to record with drummers and such. But I have been keeping the tracks since they sound so good. Or re-record with the same setup. Then mix it with amp sound.

I have had it for a year now. I take it with me to gigs as a backup. It also goes with me when I record with bands. I have had no problems with it. It is all metal construction, it can probably take a good beating.

I haven't had to contact them.

I have been playing for 10 years and have lots of gear. This thing is a great little box. It makes for a great backup and simple recording rig (with the Behringer GDI). If it were stolen or lost I would pick up a new one right away.

I play mostly Metal of various types, but I also do jazz, funk, blues, country, pop, etc. It really does well for all of them. Often DI boxes do other styles well, but don't do Metal well. This one nails Metal as well as other styles.

But definitely get a Behringer GDI with it. It really opens this box up for some real high quality use.

Very easy to get a good sound out of it. Many good sounds to get out of it.

Great sound. I use a Hamer stratocaster copy with a solid state crate amp. I was looking for a Fender Tweed tube amp sound like the 59 Bassmaster for Rockabilly,It nails that sound well. I love this pedal, it makes a solid state amp sound warm and bright or overdriven like a tube amp. I can't wait to try it with my gibson sg. Iv'e heard that this pedal makes a tube amp sound better. I love the tones that I get from this pedal. I use this with a Boss DD-3 digital delay pedal to get twangy rockabilly chime sound.

It looks like it's built to last.

I play Rockabilly, AC/DC style RockandRoll and thrash metal. I love the mild distortion and the clean sound I can get from this pedal. This is the only pedal that I have been compelled to write a review on. I love it. Ive played for about 8 years. I can't wait to use this thing with my half stack with the Boss metal distortion pedal.

How easy is it to get a good sound of it? It's almost impossible to get a bad one. I bought this used, like new condition ebay. There is no manual. It's very self explanatory I think not having a manual really forces you to explore the pedal. To be honest though you don't need one.

I am using a USA peavey predator strat copy with flat pole pickups, 1958 Gibson 125 tdc semi hollow and a peavey solid state amp with reverb. Let me tell you what I have owned:

Amps: Fender Harvard and Deluxe Tweed amps, Fender 64 princeton reverb, 68 champ, 68 bronco, various silver face vibro champs, silver face deluxe reverb.

VOX JMI AC-10, regular and top boost with mullard tubes. AC-4

Supro Thunderbolt.

1980s marshall tube amp combo (studio something or other.)

Kustom k-150 2x10 combo made in Canute, KS

and a bunch other amps I can't even remember.

Distortion pedals: 85-86' Rat, 80s tube screamer

This little pedal does it all so amazingly well, I'd say it covers all those 99.9% I listed all of the above because I wanted you to know I know what everything sounds like it. This little pedal does not only duplicate them but sounds actually nails the "fender" "Vox" or marshall sounds better than the real amps. Not to mention you can just plug right into the board and flick some switches. No messing around with mic placement. This pedal is less noisey than any of those amps. I say get this pedal, check the shielding on your guitar and get short cables. You will have the ultimate recording tool. This is great for practice or playing out too. I love it. I would say this pedal covers more amp/distortion pedal territory than you could ever financially afford and easier than anything out there. I've played pods and none of there models sound like the amps or the effects they are modeling. I've owned them. Get this over a digitally modeling pod. It really does sound like the real thing-even more so than the actual amp

It looks pretty sturdy and Tech 21 is a great company. I worry a little bit about the jack being connected to the pcb. But I guess this is the way they do it now. I would play out with it if I could afford to buy another (can't right now.) I don't think I would risk it considering how awesome this sounds.

sure there great

I play originals, classic rock and instrumentals. This covers everything. I was getting ready to shuck out for Lindy Fralen pickups before I got this. Perfect guitar pedal and the best investment you can make. I've been playing since I was around 5. If this was stolen or lost I'd buy another in a heartbeat. What do I love about it? SOUNDS LIKE THE REAL THING. I wish it would have came with a power supply. My advice is just buy it

So many possible combinations with those knobs and switches. Just know what you're after, set the switches accordingly and fine tune with the knobs.

For bass my switches are set to Cali or Tweed amp with Classic or Center mic and Clean or High Gain mod.

I run it in front of all my effects now for the final EQ before the amp. While the tone controls and the switches provide a wide range of sound customization, the drive doesn't get buzzy enough for my taste.

I got mine used in E Bay. It looks like it has seen better days and is still going strong.

This is a good pedal if you like to experiment alot with your tone or if you gig @ different places every night and don't bring your own amps and cabs. Your tone is in that box.

With a little time spent I got some really great tones for recording. editing? What editing..just tweek some knobs and flip a swith or two. It's moron proof. Manual was good...simple..brief...but then what else is ther to say about it.

I used it for recording into a 16 track digital workstation. I used the interanl effect on the workstaion such as reverb and delay. A little chorus too. Cab simulation also. It's quiet as can be. It got really good tones...no kidding. I have a Recto that I record with as well as the Recto recording pre....which I totaly love. This Little GT2 can get a really good Recto sound about as good as the real recto for a couple sounds. It does not have the sonic range and depth as a real recto, but if you are recording at home and need to get that sound, you CAN"T GO WRONG WITH THE GT2! Not as costly as a POD or a GNX and simpler to use. I think it's great.

Seems to be built well. No problems.

I always got an email reply every time I contacted Tech21. That means alot.

I play mostly metal...some classic rock. This covered those styles well. I have been playing 20+ years and I have used Line6, Johnson and Digitech amp simulators for recording. I find the GT2 to be very authentic when listening to playback. I was even fooled once! Only once though... ;) Shame on me. It did inspire me to write a few tunes as well. I liked it so much I went out and got the RBI for bass and it's all I have used to record bass with since!

Seems intimidating at first but just dive in and try out all the settings and you will see how easy it is to dial in killer sounds. The treble and bass knobs are extremely powerful so you are able to take your sound in many directions. Same thing with the drive knob-from a slight hint of edge to over the top !! One note, don't expect sparkling clean sounds for an acoustic or jazz gig. That's not what this pedal is really designed for-if you need ultra-clean the Acoustic DI is the way to go and then some.

There are a ton of great sounds in this box, you just need to spend some time finding them. To me, setting the mic placement switch to 'off-axis' makes the biggest difference of all. If you happen to dial in a weak sound try the mic switch. Soemtimes that is the only change you need to make to suddenly get a great sound. I don't know how they do it, but the sounds are very warm and ambient. Not like most other solid-state sounding box units-Pods,Boss, Digitech,Alesis......Again, don't expect sparkling clean sounds out of this box, the Acoustic DI is designed for those.

Five years of great service and no problems at all.

These guys rock. They always answer your emails quickly and are very honest about what their products can and can't deliver. They are also very good about offering insider tips as to how to get that little bit extra out of the unit.

This unit is a great way to record direct, plu straight into a PA, can be used as an effect pedal, and can be kept as a 'spare amp' on a gig. There are loads of great sounds in this box, they are fairly easy to dial in with abit of experience, and they sound great. For the price this is a fantastic product.

I have owned alot of gear over the years and the GT2 is the best Preamp/Dist. pedal a player could have in his arsenal. The knobs are very sensitive and just a slight turn can change your sound and tone.
As far as using it just plug it in and go. This unit is designed for any music format, but it is best suited for Rock / Metal
I give it a 10

I use a Mesa-Boogie Stereo 100 tube amp, with GT2 Set in the Mesa Setting for a heavy chunk sound and followed by an MXR EQ,Holy Grail Reverb, Boss CE2 Chorus, Line 6 Delay. There is no sound or hiss at least that I have noticed and the GT2 always sounds the same, I can get pretty much any type of sound I want with a little tweeking.

I have had my GT2 since 1992 and it has always been a reliable part of my rig but I hate to say my GT2 is finally starting to give out, so I plan on buying a new one soon, I have never needed a backup pedal but I always keep one handy just in case there is always something that could go wrong during a gig.
In my opinion though after 13 yrs of pretty mauch playing everyday it served its purpose above and beyond what I would expect it to.

Never needed to!

I play a wide range of styles as far as music from Manowar to Madonna, and my sound at least to me has never been an issue.
I have been playing guitar for 25 yrs now and I'm a gear head I know my stuff and I will say that I always return to my GT2 nothing compares or comes close to the sound it offers. As I said earlier I would buy nothing else at this point, I have used rack equipment, every pedal in the world, and this is the best.
I wish that puchasing these units would be easier and I would like to see some other products like, EQ's, Delay, Flanger, Chorus, Wah, and Volume pedals from Tech 21.
I wish I was signed to a label so I could be endorsed by the company.

Relatively easy to use - no problems there.

I bought mine used, so maybe I got a bad one. But I was really disappointed with the sound of this box. After reading all the glowing reviews here on Harmony Central, I was prepared to be very impressed with it, but for the most part I wasn't.

The sound I liked the most was the Tweed/Fender clean tone. I won't say it perfectly nails the Fender sound, but it's close enough, and very useable. Although I sold my GT2 after about 6 months, I almost kept it for that one sound. I liked the California/Mesa Boogie high gain tone, but, damn, it sure was noisy, as was the Marshall. I know that it's to be expected, to some degree, when dealing high gain, but even keeping the settings at moderate levels, it produced way too much noise, especially for recording. Using it live, it might be more tolerable, but in the studio - no way (at least with unit I had).

I tried it direct into my Mackie VLZ mixing board and monitored on Yamaha NS10M nearfield monitors. I also played with it through my Mesa Boogie Studio 22+ and Fender Blues Jr. tube amps, as well as a solid state Marshall, using a variety of guitars including a Gibson Les Paul w/ Seymour Duncan humbuckers, Fender Strat w/ Lace Sensors, and a 72 Telecaster Custom w/ Duncan Little '59 in the bridge, so it was tested on a pretty good cross section of instruments. I'm glad so many people have had positive experiences with the GT2, but I was really disappointed.

Seems pretty solid. I didn't have any problems with it.

Here's one category I can give a high rating in. I was in contact a couple times with Tech 21 and they were extremely responsive and helpful.

Either, other guitarists are more tolerant of noise than I am, or maybe the unit I bought had some problems - although it seemed to work fine electronically. The Fender clean tone was excellent, but the Marshall and Mesa Boogie tones had too much noise and hiss, even at moderate levels. I also didn't find much to like in the clean settings of those two as well. I really spent a lot of time in the 6 months that I had it, trying to tweak some useable sounds, but in the end I gave up and traded it in.

I have no doubt that all the people who have rated it so highly have found some great sounds that work for them, so no disrespect, but this box definitely didn't work for my use, especially for lead tones - which for me lean towards soaring melodic Santana/David Gilmour sounds. The actual tones were decent, but, as I said, too much noise. I even had a conversation with someone at Tech 21 about it, and I just couldn't dial it in for the right tone without the noise. I've been playing guitar for over 30 years and have owned a lot of equipment. I was very impressed with Tech 21 as a company and would have no hesitation trying out some of their other products. I'd also be curious to try some other GT2's to see if they are any better than the one I owned. So, based on my experience, I can't recommend this box very highly, but with so many other guitarists raving about it, I'd advise someone to check it out and see if it's right for them.

Easy as can be: 4 knobs, 3 switches and of you go. It's all analog, no memory, no midi - just a one trick wonder. The manual is clear, with nice starting examples.

Guitar (strat, superstrat, les paul)to gt 2 to amp/mixing board. Easy as that. High gain settings ad some noise, but within limits. This is mainly for my home studio to track guitar without upsetting the neighbours - but it sounds very good for such a small stompbox. Of course will a/b ing with the originals reveal differences, but at this price I don't complain. In a mix the guitar sound will stand out, and prove itself with dynamics and fluidity compared to my POD mk2 which sounds compressed and a bit dull and fluffy.

It is dead easy to get good sounds of this little helper, and playing around for half an hour gets you from funk to ultra metal and all in between. I already had a Sansamp Bassdriver, which sounded so good I decided to give the GT 2 a try, and both my POD as my BassPOD are going to retire.

Compared to the digital stuff, the Sansamp gear sounds more open, and chords have more contend. The sound is more in contact with your playing than the Line 6 gear.

It's build rock solid, and I would gig without backup.

Never dealt with them, so I don't know

The unit is bought to track guitar parts in my homestudio, but ir seems handy to take it everywhere my guitars goes. In it's own right the sound is very good, and keeps me playing for hours. Normally I play bassguitar (yes through a Sansamp Bassdriver!!!), but for songwriting and fun, I play a bit guitar. I'm not in the top of guitar playing, but I enjoy it next to playing bass.

It would be nice if Tech21 made a unit that has the programmability of the TRi AC, and the flexibility of the GT 2.....but there must be wishes in life.

As stated before, my Line6 POD is going to retire. The GT 2 plugged into my silverface Fender Champ sounds real nice.

Pretty easy. 4 knobs, level, high, low and drive, 3-3 way switches. Mine didn't come with a manual because i bought it used. It was easy to get going with it and get some good sounds right at the start.

I run a fairly simple setup, Guitar -> GT2 -> GE-7 -> Clean channel. Sounds good on most settings - it can get noisy and buzzy, it really all depends on how you adjust the settings. It does a better job than most pedals at reproducing the amp sounds it is supposed to emulate. Higher notes sound real good and have a nice attack. Can sound crunchy or smooth, mellow or harsh.
After going through a few 9v's i decided to get a universal power supply with voltage select for it, that way it can be underpowered to get different character. I usually run it at 4.5v - 6v, it retains its sound at those voltages and doesn't get too barky or loud. I also grabbed a Boss ge-7 to enhance the pedals sound. If you're getting bored with the pedal at all a ge-7 might be what you're looking for.

The GT-2 has three switches with three positions each, mic position, modification (amp gain/character) and amp type. They can be flipped to create alot of different sounds. The 'Mic' switch simulates mic positioning with the first being an off angle setting (airy, less direct) center yields a very direct tone with focused highs and mids, and classic is a real midrangey tone. The mod switch lets you select the type of amp gain, hot wired, high gain and classic. And finally Amp lets you choose the amp type, California (mesa) British (Marshall) and Tweed (fender) The switches can also be set to 'in-between' each setting - although this wouldn't be easy to do while on stage, it is possible with some fiddling. Doing this results in even more sound possibilities. For instance if you set the mod switch in-between "high gain" and "classic" you get the loudness of the classic setting but with the smoother sound of the high gain setting, like a classic amp being overdriven. The in-between British and Tweed setting is the only one that sounds kind of strange, the others seem ok. Not sure if doing this can damage the pedal but it is interesting to try out.

Seems well built, doubt it would break under normal use.

Haven't talked to them. They seem like a pretty cool company though.

Pretty neat pedal. Does a good job at emulating the different amp types. Good tone, nice pick attack. Good build quality. The only thing i wish it had were more, more, more. They could load the thing up with switches and it would be alot of fun. Does a better job than alot of other pedals. Sounds good with a ge-7 after it too.

Very easy to use. The manual explains the basiscs and give you some decent default settings. The controls are pretty sensitive so it may take some time to get the sound you are looking for.

I don't give a 10 because nothing is perfect but wow, this thing is really nice. I had a Boss DS-1 which was fine but not very flexible; before that, crappy solid-state amp distortion. I am using this straight into a Yamaha MT4X casssette four-track, sometimes with chorus and reverb, OR in front of a early 60's Ampeg Jet. It pushes the hell out of that amp!! Also sounds good enough to run straigh into a board and out the PA. Like I said above, the controls are very sensitve, and if you are using an amp, that as well as your guitar and the pickup selected will affect the overall tone. It is quite and is such an improvement over any other distortion/overdrive unit I've ever dealt with (I'm 41, been playing since I was 13, the usual covers and original band experience). The setting in the owner's manual are pretty good - I like "Bluesbreaker" and "Van Halen Style", and "Metallica" for your standard Neanderthal Metal Chug .... this guy has some additional settings on a web page; I like "Pagey" and "Smashing Pumpkins":

http://members.tripod.com/Milaa/SansAmpGT2/indexGT2.html

Built like a tank ... ha-ha, a long ways from the Ibanez "Soundtank" series. The battery lasts a long time, I would use without a backup.

I have not, got a cherry deal on Ebay, but I hear they are very responsive ... It's a small company and the stuff is made right here in the USA!!

This is a very helpful tool. I chose the GT2 because most of my playing is into the four-track. If I played out more I would get the Tech 21 Tri-OD ... the exact same controls but you can program three distinct sounds so you have more options in a live setting. I think it's great for pushing a small class-a amp .... if I run this pedal hot into the Jet, I'm getting close to stack-a-licious sound (minus some of the breeze)! I play mainly different styles of rock, but getting more into what might pass for movie sountracks if I was more talented:)
Other gear: 90's Alvarez bass, Guyatone chorus, Boss RV-2 reverb, DOD Digital Delay, Shure microphones, 90's Washburn USA-Jackson Mercury guitar, 1973 Guild D-50 acoustic guitar, 60's Kay Classical Guitar, "Stradivarius" Violin from Romania (inherited from Aunt).

very easy to get a good sound out of this thing. i plugged it in put in what i thought was a good setting and went. only pedal in my life i liked from the 1st second.

to me it all kinda sounds the same, a one trick pony. you cant get a mean mean tight marshall sound that is very fun to play, very tight and spongy. still doesnt sound like a real tube amp but not bad at all.

ive found ligter distortion settings are fine, i was surprised at its hot gain.

looks pretty stable

im using this with a mesa 2:90 power amp. this is more than likely the real way to run this thing being that if it was used as a pedal and not a preamp im sure your amps EQ would mess with the tone.

Works for me ... I like what I get and it is really easy. You sacrifice some flexibility vs. the full Sans Amp but it cna get gounds sonds immediately.

Manual? We don't need no steenkin manual! You would have to have significant cognitive challenges to not be able to figure out the basics of operating it. Really getting what you want may require futzing with tone controls, levels, and your amp. I have no idea how it sounds direct because that is against my religion.

I feed Starts/Teles/PRS through it into a Twin and Hot Rod, sometimes with UniVibe Stereo Chorus. It works for me. The GT2 can be a full-on snot-metal crunch monster if that's your bag, or - when you spend some quality time with later in life - you can get very cool dark, dirty swamping inbred bluesy stuff.

The three amp types are realistics enough, but don't expect to fool anyone in a blind taste test. The names are, shall we say, "directionally correct." The "Tweed" (not called Fender, mind you, for obvious reasons) tone has ringing high end but in no way replaces the real thing. "American" gets the basic idea behind a Boogie, and "British" is kind of Brit-ish. If your goal is a live vz. "Memorex" duplication, get the real thing and practice. If ou ant a similar vibe this pedal might actually do it.

The extremes of tone, distortion don't work for me. Generally, though, i get very strong sounds from it. Cabinet / miking simulators could be accurate - I don't know. I use them as tone-ish controls.

Best part, to me, is it carries the guitar tone through very well. Strats sounds like, well, Strats. It also responds very very nicely to pick attack and articulation. Recently I started playing it with less drive, darker tone, and finder style and it works way cool.

Been totally rosk solid. Well built, simple. yadda yadda. Nice work.

No idea. A used pedal. Not really expecting on-site service and 24x7 call center. Plus it never ever acted up.

I've used to thrash away at catharic rock, but I generally play with more restraint. I also look more for amp distortion, but this pedal really adds it's own dimension.

The whole pedal thing is so personal and subjective, it's prett damn silly to rant about it. This device has some real value and sounds great for me.

This little box defies words, it's so good. I popped into the music store last week after work to pick up some picks and other small accessories, and saw they had this advertised on sale (used) an additional 25% off. I thought "what the heck, I'll try it out" so I plugged it in at the store, using a cheap Squire strat and a crappy Roland Cube amp.

Within 30 seconds, I knew I was going to buy it. It's SO EASY to get GREAT tone out of it. 3 switches, 4 knobs...what could be simpler? And so many variations!

So...I get it home...all I can say is "WOW!" - it's inspired me to play a LOT this past week. I use it with 2 guitars - Fender American Deluxe Strat (LSR nut, Fender Floyd, DiMarzio PAF Pro/Virt. Vintage/Dual Sound p/us), and a home-made "George Kirk" signature Strat - scalloped neck, DiMarzio HS3/HS2/HS3 pickups. These go into either a Behringer V-amp2 (for multi-effects, more on that in a moment), a Line6 Spider II, or whichever PA system I happen to be using on a given night.

This unit lets you get as close to AUTHENTIC tones from some of your favorite artists as possible, while allowing you to develop your own signature sound. Want Angus Young? Check! Van Halen? Check! John Petrucci (a la Images and Words...) Check! Iron Maiden? Check. Stevie Ray Vaughan...well let me tell you, the sky IS crying, because this thing does the classic Fender amp blues vibe better than ANYTHING I've ever heard. It's almost IMPOSSIBLE to get a bad sound out of it, although at higher gain settings I recommend backing off a bit on the volume if you are using high-powered pickups.

On another note, all you digital modelling gear-heads (of which I was one, until I bought this unit) - once you hear this, you will NEVER go back to digital amp modelling. This unit offers a much more pleasing sound, in any of it's virtually infinite combinations than ANY modelling amp I have played (and I have played them all). Harmonics are alive, you think you're playing through a REAL tube amp. It's that good!

It's so good, I went back to the store and bought another one...one for my live rig "hot" tones (which by the way clean up nicely in response to your picking and volume settings) and one for cool, clean bluesy tones.

Built like a tank.

N/A

I play everything from blues to jazz to progressive metal. This box literally can do it all, and do it WELL! I've been playing 16 years, have had many different amps, effects units, etc. This is the first time I've ever thought "this is indispensable". Sounds great live, sounds great recorded direct, and in such a small package. If it were stolen or lost, I'd buy another in a second! The tones are so "organic", they inspire you to play, play and play some more.

Bottom line: Stop reading, go find one of these babies and buy it. You will NOT be disappointed!

Just picked it up from my local Guitar Center today...for $39.99...in excellent condition...well cared for w/no scratches, dings, etc. Thank you Guitar Center...used ones are going for $90.00 and up on eBay!

Brought it home and played w/it for an hour or so and was getting some really great sounds out of it. I normally...for the last 6 years...have played a Boss Metal Zone into a 1979 Marshall JMP 50W 2x12 Combo equipped w/6550 tubes and Celestion 25W Greenbacks. My guitars are all Custom Assembled Modified 80's Super Strats...1986 Kramer Stagemaster Custom, 1985 & 1989 Kramer Elliot Easton Pacer Imperial, 1986 Kramer Baretta Kline Space Graphic w/Maple Board, Warmoth Stevie Ray Vaughan Tribute Strat w/Maple Board and Floyd Rose, 1988/91 B.C. Rich Gunslinger Graffiti Graphic w/Maple Board...you get the picture. Anyway...I pulled down about 40 Settings for this thing from a Sansamp GT2 Settings Site where people can add their settings...some sucked but a few were really cool similarities to GnR, EVH, Radiohead, AC/DC, etc. Literally...w/in a few minutes I had some cool tones cranking out of the Marshall!!!

No manual...as it was "used". Really don't need it since I've got the presets printed out as indicated above.

It's got 4 knobs...Level,High,Low,Drive...and a series of 3 Switches that can be set for different variations of "Miking"-Classic,Center,Offset, "Tones"-Clean,High Gain,Hot Wired, and, "Amp Models"-Tweed,British,California...honestly...how hard can it be to use???

I played it w/my B.C. Rich Gunslinger, which has a Dimarzio Tone Zone F-Spaced in the bridge and a Vintage "PAF" Stickered Dimarzio SDS1 in the neck, a Brass Sustain Block on the bridge and a Vol/3 Way P/U Selector/Coil Tap on TZ.

If you crank up all the knobs to max...yeah...it's noisy. The only "learning curve" I experienced was in understanding how the unit interacted w/my Amp, Guitar/Pickups...it was a little heavy on the treble...so once I rolled back the High knob and increased the Low knob a bit to compensate for my equipment variables...I was able to churn out some killer tones on the presets that I tested. Really it's a matter of finding the limits of the pedals knobs in relation to your gear. For me, it was a simple matter of defining the High/Low limits...Low had no limit...I could crank it all the way and the sound/tone never suffered. Highs on the other hand, depended upon the setting.

This unit didn't pack as much power as my Boss Metal Zone, but it gives a really nice range of tones from which to choose based upon the Variable Switches. Is it the only pedal you'll need...the "be all/end all" of pedals...probably not for most people...but it's a fun and useful box o' tones that'll take you in a lot of different directions/styles comfortably. I thought it gave an interesting interpretation of Tube Tones through my Tube Amp. I was impressed by it's flexibility and capabilities...as well as the sounds/tones that I was able to get so easily in such a short period of time with it. o

Seems tough enough to me. It was rattling when I got it, as it had a battery in it...which I quickly removed as I always use an AC Adapter.

Not a clue...hopefully I'll never need them.

This thing was a freakin' bargain! It's very usable for a number of different styles. I've been playing for about 16 years, strictly as a hobbyist, but I'll continue to play until I DIE. I love my guitars and I love playing. I've owned my share of gear over the years and finally settled on my amp about 6 years ago....my Marshall JMP Combo Amp is the HOLY GRAIL of amplifiers as far as I'm concerned.

I'm pretty picky about my tone...I've sold off an Ibanez Tube Screamer Turbo TS-10 recently, as it just didn't do the trick for me "tonewise". I definitely am more impressed w/the GT2 over the TS-10. I chose the GT2 over several other pedals in the same price range...Hughes & Ketner Warp Factor, Boss MT2 Digital Metalizer, etc and am quite happy w/this little mutha!

A amplifier emulation pedal is how I classify this thing. Very unique idea of using a a distortion circuit and some frequency responce curves to simulate miking of a speaker cone. There are others out there (better?), but Tech 21 was the first and on top of that- its ALL ANALOG!!! No digital bits anywhere to be found.

The setup is pretty easy to get you a basic tone- level, low, high, and drive controls. Amp, Mod, and Mike settings, each with a three position switch. You simply dial up the type of amp you want, the type of mod (read overdrive) and the miking of the speaker.

Here's where, like everything else on the planet, everyone has an opinion not only on the sound quality, but on how the things should be used!

Here's my opinion- I found that using the higher gain settings (like britsh or California), made an interesting tone in the lower register. My guitarist called it the "star wars tie fighter sound". its kinda like a growl that has one annoying frequency. I tried zeroing it out with parametric EQ, but my attitude is why bother putting a band-aid on something that should work right the first time?

Weirdly, on lower settings, or on the tweed settings with higher drive, the weird tone isn't there. Thas how I use it now. I find I get more tone out of the instrument and the amp simulation sounds rougher- like a smaller amp being pushed harder- more real!

Like Boss's reputation for buiding tanks disguised as pedals, the GT-2 is the same! I've broken one knob (not the shaft, the actual plastic), but it was my fault and I was able to find a replacement at a local electronic parts store!!! But if I were to base the reliability on sound and function alone, excellent!

I've spoken with a guy names Lloyd at Tech 21 about some other issues with other Sans Amp stuff I own, but I have never had problems and they have never been anything but helpful about it!

This thing is very warm and tubey sounding. Its amp models do not sound exactly like their expensive and heavy counterparts, but they capture alot of the signature characteristics of those amps. I have never actually owned or played a real tube-powered fender, marshall, or mesa; I do own a tube amp however. All models have got the the "tube sound." In my opinion, the closeness of these models rates as follows: fender-90%, mesa-85%, marshall-75%. At first, I was somewhat disappointed w/ this pedal. After a couple of days of owning it, I really like it. To me it seems like the GT2 sounds most tubey when cranked. I am using it for recording direct into my computer, and if it sounded any better, it might replace the amps it mimics. Keep in mind that there are no totally clean sounds in this pedal, just "gain turned down on your dirty channel" type of clean.

Lloyd is prompt, knowledgable, and friendly. Best answers i've gotten through an e-mail.

This pedal is very easy to work with. There is no need to use the manual, even if you aren't a techie geekazoid. Flip a few switches and adjust the knobs to your liking.

This is my current setup. LTD MC-200guitar loaded with an EMG 81 into a Digitech Genesis 3 preamp on rectified setting into the GT2 on the clean tweed selection into a Digidesign Mbox for recording into Pro Tools LE where I untraditionally monitor through PA speakers(sounds like there is a band in the room!). The reason I use the Genesis is because the GT2 doesn't have as much gain as I would like on the heavy settings even with my EMG. The Genesis also offers compression for more gain, and a noise gate which is pretty useful if you are getting radio interference through your guitar from sitting in front of your computer. If you are into heavy guitar styles and you don't have a separate distortion to feed into the tweed sound, I would definitely suggest inserting a compressor before the GT2 to beef up the distortion sounds. Also I don't reccomend using the GT2 in a guitar amp setup. If you take my advice with the properly used compressor this pedal can definitely score a 10.

This pedal is pretty solid. I don't ever step on it so it will definitely will last for a while. If I ever gig with it in the future it still won't get stepped on. However it has sustained a couple drops and the worse that has come of it is chipped paint which gives it a little more character.

I don't ever see needing support with this box

I have been playing various heavy styles for around 9 years. Definitely a good tool for a recording arsenal. Definitely would replace if stolen. Best amp/cab emulator I've ever heard.

Not soo ez but still manageable with some experience.
Please understand this is a preamp, won't give its best in front of an amp but in the return jack.
Or on a pa, recorder, hifi etc.
Knobs very very effective, a small turn is a new world here so be careful.

The best all-in-one you can find: 5ma 9volt battery consumption, buffered output so you can run long cables without treble-loss, guitar-to-pa(or bass amp, anything) interface...
It is a very clever box, maybe the cleverest analog thing available(along with its brother the classic).
I 've used it intensively since 1995, for all applications. As a clean amp with pedals in front, as a crunch amp with a booster in front, as a distortion pedal in front of a jc120 amp(you cannot believe how good it sounds without trying for yourself!), everything.
But it won't work good with bass or vocals, whatever is stated on the manual...
Having also the classic, I can state this: the grain is finest on the classic. If you take sandpaper as an example, the gt-2 is like 240 while the classic is like 600.
Useless to say that in real-life situations, live, nobody cares nor gives a shit, if you play good people know it.

Absolutely, it's the backup. I tore it apart, modified it, reput it to origin, no problems. It's not only bullet-proof, but also idiot-proof(lucky me!).
It is also a real pain in the ass to spray some wd40 in the pots when the unit starts(after 7 years) to makes strange sounds because you have to desolder jacks and so on, very unpleasant to do. See the review on someone unhappy with the tri-ac on this very point, the gt-2 is made alike). 9 for this.

Here in europe you ain't got no support, I don't care since it won't break...

Whatever your style this thing delivers. Crap in equals not-so-crap out but still no magic...
It is absolutely not noisy, the only problem you will have is an upcoming depression when you realize how bad your sound was before having this unit...
Keep in mind that less is more, the tonal variations are amazing here, and I keep discovering interesting settings after 9years of use.
Of course I will buy one again, I'm no fool.

Very easy! Good sound if matched with the right stuff but it can sound nasty with other things to, more on this later.
Manual is great with some great settings included.

OK, I use this for professional direct recording but already knew when I got it that the CAB SIM isn't the best, but I tried it anyway right into my Mackie VLZ mixer into a pair of monitors and as I knew, the tone is there but the Cab Sim sucks, but keep on reading and I'll tell you why this thing is still awesome! I'll get the bad stuff out of the ways first and then tell you why all this stuff isn't bad at all.
Like any amp or modeller, the higher the gain, the higher the noise, it's not too bad but I believe that a Guitar player without a Noise Gate pedal or unit is like Beer with no alcohol!

Now to the good news. I wasn't happy with the Cab Sim so I shopped around for a Cab sim that would work well and sound great. Before I continue, I have been a studio producer for 10 years working for some major TV networks so I have used a TON of gear and know something about sound.
Well, I tried a $30 Behringer ULTRA G Cab Sim DI BOX and HOLY COW!
The best guitar sound I have ever had BAR NONE in 17 years of guitar playing going through the tubes of Marshalls, Soldanos, Mesas and trying all the digital modelling units available. The GT-2 is an awesome pre and sounds great in front of an amp and with an extra $30 you won't even need the amp anymore, in fact, on live gigs I now go direct and always get compliments from other guitarists and audience on how clear, yet warm and aggressive my sound is (While I'm laughing at our other guitar player with back probelms whom's girlfriend always complaints she can't hear him with his 4X12 300 watt Marshall Mode four THAT SUCKS BY THE WAY!....he knows this and just got himself a....err..GT2 wiht Ultra G!).

Anyhow, Thhe GT-2 can sound unbelievable and can sound like a piece of crap. It just depends how you use it and what with like anythign else.
8 because of the Poor cab sim, otherwise AWESOME! Great sounds, Versatile and a guitarists/Producer dream!
I also reviewed the Behringer Ultra G mentioning that I have the best guitar sound I have ever had in 17 years with less than $200.

Its a tank! Period.

I once owend a trademark 120 that would overheat and switch itself off. I contacted TECH 21 and within 48hrs they shipped me a brand new, no qiestions asked. They knew of this problem and fixed it on certain models and fixed it.
Thier website is really cool and they reply to emails really quickly too.

I believe TECH 21 are the best at modelling other amps. You can get the sounds of certaing amps or create ones of your own with no problem. No more digital for me or tubes blowing up pr the need of an Isolated room with Microphones, pre's and tons of noise.
I spent less than $200 ($150 GT-2 + $30 Ultra G) and sound like $3000.
Thanks TECH 21!!!!!
Hear this pedal soon on the upcoming EARTHCUBED album at
http://www.andrewbordoni.com

This little box is super easy to use. Flip a few switches, turn a few knobs, you're set.

I'll give you a little different perspective. I play bass, but I'm mostly a synth/sampler guy. I've used this with my Aria Pro II bass (plugged into my mixer and monitors, I don't have a bass amp these days), Access Virus KB, Novation Bass Station, Waldorf Pulse, and Ensoniq ESQ-1 synths.

The bass sounds awesome through it. There is a huge range of sounds I can coax, all of which react well to playing.

Synths are a little bit of a mixed bad. Resonant sounds that sound (for lack of a better word) synthetic loose a great deal of their character in this box. It isn't like overdriving a mixer channel, it really alters your sound, sometimes in a good way and sometimes in a bad way. I've found that (get ready) it helps me synthesize awesome guitar sounds. Who would have guessed? Anyway, I set up a patch on the Virus with a bandpass filter that tracks the keyboard, and ran it through the Sansamp. It doesn't sound like a synthesized guitar, it just sounds like a guitar. Awesome. It's also great for noisey industrial chaos. Any synth playing octaves --> delay --> GT-2 = instant madness.

in short, I like this thing a lot. I wouldn't want to use it on every synth sound, but I would use it on my bass whenever I wanted to record.

It seems reliable enough. I bought mine used, and the LED that indicates on/off doesn't work. I would gig without a backup, but then it isn't quite indispensable to me, either.

I haven't dealt with them.

I play industrial/ebm/synthpop, and this is great for the more angry side of electronic music. I've been playing bass for 6 years, and keys for 5. I own a cheap bass, as well as a fair amount of synths, effects, and outboard. I like the GT-2 a lot. I was considering learning a little guitar, bt since I can fake it so well with my synths and this pedal, I'll save the hundreds of dollars I would have spent on guitar gear and use it on bass and synth gear instead. :) Ultimately, this pedal opens up a range of sounds that were previously beyond my reach. It was cheap and it sounds great! What more could you want?

Easy as pie...Level knob, high-low knobs, and drive knob. along with switches for the mic placement, and amp types. EXCELLENT foot switch, turns on very easily without delay or hassle.

You can crank out any awsome vintage amp sound. high and low eq's prove usefull, and the drive is kickin'. Can be noisy though.. hopefully if i get an ebtech hum eliminator and a noise gate it shouldnt be too bad. I can get an amazing Hendrix "highway chile'" sound. good sustain. add a little delay and you'll have an awsome solo sound. I put this thing through my crappy eighties crate amp and it really kicks.

Pretty rugged. my dog chews everything and this thing hasnt got a dent! I will definatly gig with it.

Havnt dealt with them , hopefully will not have to. their homepage is pretty good with alot of samples.

I play all the good stuff, hendrix, nirvana, clapton, zep, pink floyd, this thing really delivers. The tone is second to none. I also have a digitech hot rod distortion and it's nothing compared to this. maybe if i use my big muff for a boot it will sound even better. I almost forgot about recording with this thing. I had a school project with some buddy's, and as kind of a joke we recorded "Rockin' in the Free world", but this thing delivered. it cut right through the mix. i just added some reverb and delay and it sounded incredible. Id give it a ten so far in every catagory cause its amazing, but i havnt had it long enough.