Tech 21 SansAmp GT2

easy enough to use

ok, here's where I have to set the record straight as far as using this in a live situation. Like all sansamp preamps, you need to make sure you use FULL RANGE SPEAKERS!!!! Example: I would use this as a distortion pedal through a marshall or a fender, and it was always a battle to get a good sound. I used it with a roland JC 120, and it sounded BRILLIANT! Full range speakers!!!

sansamp products are kinda funny, in that they act up sometimes. This particular pedal, I used to have to whack it on the floor somerimes to get it to co operate, then other times, it was fine. The footswitch on my trademark 60 is tempermental too?

these guys r the BEST!

For direct recoding, I always use a POD, but this thing works well too. However, the POD blows live, and this thing works well.

Easy to get a good sound of. The way it works is fairly simple. Switches and knobs to be tweaked as you see fit. 3 types of amp, 3 types of speaker and - get this: 3 different mic positions can be simulated - and that is the key to getting some fantastic tones. There's also the obligatory Volume, Bass, Treble and Drive dials which give a fairly big tonal pallette - I've only scratched the surface of this pedal's capabilities and I've got more than enough sounds to be working with.

I use it with a solid state Trace Elliot amp and either my Strat or Les Paul. It's pretty much noiseless in terms of buzzing and the like. A little buzzing if you're too close to your rig, but that's the deal with pretty much anything.

This can be manipulated to get the rhythm sound of just about any rock guitarist you want. Lead tones are a bit more down to pickups and of course your magical fingers, but I have to say you can ape anyone who plays a Les Paul into a Marshall with the greatest of ease and accuracy.

Solid pedal, well constructed, never so much as a fizzle or a squeak out of it. You drive a tank over this and it won't even blink.

Never had to deal with TECH 21.

Well, I've tried a lot of stomp boxes, and for me, the Tech 21 Sansamp GT2 is the absolute cherries!!!

I got one on eBay for a song and it if I lost all my gear to a gang of raiding dwarves I would replace it in a minute!

It allows you to tweak amp type, speaker type and mic position!

It's also very responsive. The 3 types of amp are Fender-esque clean, Marshall-esque rawk and Boogie-esque crunch.

It goes through your amp without stealing the character of your guitar's tone, rather colouring it with the degree of saturation of your choosing instead. You can run the whole gamut from a very slight overdrive to a window-breaking, boot in the arse thumping crunch. Beeeatch. I should get money from Tech 21 for this kind of praise.......

NB - With a bit of tweakery, I've managed to add tube warmth to the clean channel of my solid state amp. This pedal has literally save me a few hundred quid and I will at some point dress it in a skirt and a wig and marry it

Quite easy to get a good sound out of it. It is harder to get the sound you have in mind coz this thing covers such a wide range.

I used it mainly for direct recording. I gave it a try from my Telecaster to a Soldano 50 watts. The distortion is a killer. I didn`t had to go above the high gain setting (on the marshall) with the drive halfway to get a very decent heavy rock sound. There`s plenty of drive with this and the clean Fender sound is good too. But after all, i can't use this for recording. It lacks the a good overdriven sound, before it distort. I can`t get rid of this scratchy higher gain buzz. This thing sounds the same as my Twin preamp plugged direct. I don`t hear the speaker simulation. The mic switch seems to curve the wrong freq. Maybe this is now a different era now. Please Tech 21, blow our mind with a new era of amp simulation, improve your technologies; its getting there

I was looking for an analog amp simulation to replace my (oh! too noisy) VF-1. That wasn`t it. This pedal seems to have a purpose but it isn`t mine. I'm gonna get a Vox Tonelab and that`ll be it(I wish!!!!).

It's pretty easy to use while offering some options for amp and speaker simulations

I bought it as a direct recording device and I am disappointed. while it excels in producing distorted sounds it lacks quality for clean or in between sounds (which I prefer). maybe i am picky, owning two tube amps, but it just does not give me a good feeling and flow while playing. but even the overdriven settings are only good for one sound - a real marshall is way more versatile.
The eq is not very useable in my opinion, with the highs to harsh and producing noise and the lows too broad so you get either muddy or thin sound.

I just have it for a few days, it looks solid.

while it may be pretty good for some heavy metal sounds it lacks quality in other disciplines. it does not at all feel real like some other reviewers stated (which made me look for one on ebay), lacks the dynamics and in betwenn sounds of a good tube amp. I'll put mine out for sale...

Although there are quite a few paramenters on the GT2 to play with, the manual offers up lots of suggested settings that would allow anyone to plug in & get some good sounds in minutes. You don't have to be a genius to work out what 'SRV style' means, for example. The fun starts when you get into tweaking the sounds yourself. I think the only problem with the GT2 would be if you were gigging & tried to switch settings between songs (in the dark!) - it's pretty fiddly.

I've had the GT2 for 6 months. I use a 1977 American strat into a 1980s British (solid state) Sessionette amp. The amp's own overdrive is pretty poor & I was ready to change it for a tube amp - but now I won't bother, at least for a while. As a fan of players like SRV & Kenny W Shepherd I was looking for something that would allow me to get close to their tone and still keep the natural tone of my Strat coming through. I tend to use the GT2 set up most of the time to get this mild overdrive & it really works. It is a very 'musical' sounding pedal and very responsive to the way in which you play - it resonds very well to the amount of attack you put into the strings. I'd contrast this with digital modellers like the V - Amp & Pod, which I found very harsh & frankly, artificial. I owm a Boss BR64 digital portastudio & the myriad of on board guitar sounds are really poor in comparison with the GT2. I also own a Rat, but I find that too harsh for my tastes. The acid test for the GT2- does it make you want to sit down & play? Answer is always yes. Finally - it does hiss a bit on some settings, but I can live with that.

so far so good. seems well built & the footswitch is robust

I've been playing for 25 years, but I've only recently started to get back into the guitar seriously. Started taking lessons last year, after years of just fooling around. other gear owned - Rat, Tokai Flanger (old) Ibanez Sonic Distortion (older).I listen to most types of music, but for guitar I go for SRV, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Johnny Winter, Paul Kossoff thro to Chilli Peppers, Mars Volta. If I lost it, I'd buy another - or check out some of the other similar Sansamp products. I compared the GT2 to Pod, V- Amp & some Boss multi-effects unit the guy in the shop suggested (interestingly he didn't suggest the GT2, I found it on the shelf & asked to try it). Does this pedal encourage me to make music? Yes. Would I recommend it? Yes - I like to play blues oriented stuff, but it is also great fun to set up some of the more extreme rock & metal patches & have fun. Check one out.

Kind of a honeymoon review, I've had it for a couple of weeks now, so still getting to know it some. But I found a tone I'm groovin with, so I really haven't been touching the knobs.

Anyway, 4 knobs - Level, High, Low, and Drive. Three small sliders - "Mic", which is supposed to emulate mic placement, another for gain level, and one for amp type.

I think the switches could stand to be a bit bigger.. what I think would be super cool is if you could switch the gain level switch with a add-on footswitch, it leaves the basic character of the tone the same but steps up levels, so I could see this being useful on stage if you could switch it without bending over.

Not very noisy, as others have said, there is some noise on the super high gain settings, but no more than you'd get out of a real amp.

I'm using it in the effects loop of a Behringer AC112 to compensate for the amps so-so distortion. The GT2 is a bit thin in the mids, I follow it with an Danelectro EQ pedal to compensate. The GT2 sounds very good, though, a good foundation for a good tone. Strangely enough, the best tone I get is when it's set for classic/clean/california and run it with the amps drive channel, they complement each other with added girth.

Good dynamics, the tweed setting especially shows how it distorts gradually with picking strength, unlike many SS products that are either on or off when it comes to this.

Gobs of sustain to be had too.. if you want it. Somedays I don't because I'm playing too sloppy!

Seems strong enough..

Muy exellente!
I emailed them asking for a manual since I bought it used, they emailed me back within an hour! Almost unheard of these days..

Play blues, Trey, Santana-ish stuff. I've only been playing electric for a year, but did acoustic, keys before.

I got this becuse I had the Behringer (starter amp I know), didn't have the $$ for a good tube amp, and had been wholly unimpressed with all the mainstream distortion and overdrive pedals. So I was looking for something to fundamentally alter the tone of my amp, and was looking at the usual Line6 and Digitech culprits, and someone suggested I check out Tech21. Glad I did. The thing is technically an 'Analog amp modelling pre-amp' or something or other, so it has a lot of applications. But in my case, it's a distortion pedal that only cost $100(used) and completely blows away anything else I've tried, and got me closer to the tone I was looking for than anything else for that paltry sum.
I'd replace if lost in a heartbeat.. I may start hoarding these.

Very easy. There are a couple of web sites with sounds for it, in addition to the Tech 21 site. Flip some switches, twiddle some knobs, it sounds pretty good. No manual with mine, but I bought it used.

Pretty quiet. Most often run it into a Yamaha DG-Stomp then into my computer. Not noisy, although the distortion sounds seem to have too much high-end for me. I'd roll off anything over 6-7Khz or so. Personally, I just run it into a clean setting in the DG-Stomp and make sure the Speaker Simulation is on the DG, and it rips.

I have used it live with my Fender Jazz bass and Eden amp & 410 cabinet, and on the "SVT" sound setting it had a very nice growl.

Seems solid, metal case. Flimsy battery cover, nothing that duct tape wouldn't fix, though. Would imagine it will last a while with reasonable care.

Never dealt w/ Tech 21, website is somewhat informative, I guess...

I play mostly rock (indie, hard, and/or metal), been playing for many years. Mostly recording now, thru a Gretsch Nashville JR or 73 Les Paul Standard, into DG-Stomp and into the computer. I wanted another "amp simulation" type box for direct recording into the computer, and so far, this has got some nice tones. Pleasantly surprised with how well it worked for bass live; I wonder how it would sound live with one of my guitars. For $100, I probably would buy another one.

I actually tried the GT-2 out a few weeks ago in a guitar store but didn't buy it. Today I had a day off so I went to the local guitar store and picked up a used one. Unfortunately, the guitar store was flooded from water pipes breaking, so I had to trust that the sound of the GT-2 was going to be what I remembered.

I won't beat a dead horse, but the GT-2 is super easy to use. If you are someone who likes tweaking the hell out of knobs, then you might want to look elsewhere. TECH 21 has done such a great job with the tone, that you really get a great sound at every setting.

Mine is actually used so it didn't come with a manual, etc. To be honest though, you don't need one. You have your in and out jacks, four knobs and that is it. Considering those few options, it is amazing what this box can do!

There are a few things I would like to see on the GT-2 that are not existent. I don't know if they are planning on building a GT-3, but this is what I would like to see:

- Mid knob
- Reverb perhaps?
- Noise gate?

Other than that, this simple little box is easy to use and doesn't need alot of options.

I don't know how TECH 21 does it, but they continue to amaze me with the tone quality of their products. They capture the tube sound that other companies could only dream of capturing. I have owned the TM60 amp, a power amp and the original sansamp and the GT-2 impresses me as much as the others did.

If you are reading this, you obviously know that the GT-2 emulates a Fender, Marshall and Mesa Boogie amp with the use of three separate switches. I found that you could get a great early Eddie Van Halen tone by setting all of the switches in the middle position. Amazingly, with the flick of a few switches you can have a great Metallica "black album" sound or a Stevie Ray Vaughn type of tone. I know it sounds crazy, but this box can do it. Don't ask me how, but TECH 21 does it. The cool thing is that it is analog. There is no digital tones that sound distant, etc.

I have played the GT-2 through an amp, but I actually plan on using it for home recording. I used it to record a few clips tonight and was blown away at how the tones stand out in the recordings. I posted them online and had a few people listen to them without knowing what amp I was using. It sounds funny, but people guessed a Peavey 5150, a Mesa Dual Rectifer, a Bogner and several other amps. Nobody guessed that it was a digital emulator such as a VAMP, POD, etc. which I think really says alot about the GT-2.

The only negative about the sound quality is that you do get noise with the unit, but then again I am playing into a computer and there are all kinds of issues when a computer is involved. I play on buying a noise gate but really the noise is not so bad that you would hear it throughout the entire recording. It is only really noticable when you stop playing.

TECH 21 gear seems to be made pretty solid. Visually they don't pretty up their gear with fancy colors, goofy looking knobs, etc. and I think that gives them time to ensure their products meet reliability standards. Most of their products are flat black with yellow lettering, or a solid color, etc. They really don't need all of the fancy advertising trickery because the tones speak for themselves.

I doubt you will find a better customer support company involved in musical gear than TECH 21. Back when I owned a PSA-1, I had one of the technicians emailing me practically everyday to answer my questions about fuses, power handling issues, etc. I never get the run-around with the TECH 21 guys. They make great gear and their customer support is excellent.

I can't say anything else other than I think this is a great piece of gear and will stand up to many tube amps. TECH 21 has a great reputation and their products are a great alternative to the digital mania going on right now.

The sansamp gt2 distortion pedal is a very simple and easy pedal to use. Just two knobs to twist and turn for eq, level , amount of distortion you want. Plus , it "simulates" 3 amp models ( mesa boogie , marshall and fender) and mics.

The sansamp gt2 is a great sounding effects pedal and works great with both humbuckers and single coiled. I'm currently using it with a jackson sl3 or burns marquee series with a maxon compressor through a fender amp. It is pretty easy to tune to the sound you want by checking out websites or just figuring it out yourself. If you like to play a variety of music styles , this pedal is for you. Although the blues screamer + srv settings are not up to par , both van halen and metallica are great. This thing also can do Marhshall plexi style , Fender Funk , and variety of others. In fact , this thing has a tube sound!!! I would buy this effects pedal if you have a regular transitor amp and not a tube amp.(it will sound too compressed)

THis thing is pretty sturdy and just like a boss. It's made out of solid metal and not plastic. I would defiently use it w/o a backup

never dealt with them

As you mite know by now , this pedal is defiently worth the price. Although it is priced a bit high at 160$$!! , once you get the right sound , you will be a very happy guitar player. I play rock , metal and blues . Although the blues is not GREAT , the rock and metal are great. IF this were lost or stolen , i would deifeintly buy another one. In fact , when i was a young and brash guitar player , i played using a BOSS METAL ZONE. I LOVED IT ... until i got this. IF all u want is that death sound distortion and play power chords, go with the metal zone. If you want to play with variety of great sounds and playing blazing solo's ... buy this one.

Got mine setup with some good tones in a few minutes.

I am running a simple setup. Fender Tele --> Boss TU-2 --> SansAmp GT2 --> Roland JC-120. Not noisy at all, the tone is really focused and pulls off the tube emulation with ease.

I've only had it a week, so I really can't comment on the reliablity. Although it does look like it can take a beating.

I've conversed with the Lloyd @ Tech 21 who has been most helpful and has answered all of my questions with promptness.

I play tunes along the line of Helmet / Pumpkins / Failure. For the most part, I've always been against emulators as they are what they are, fake. I can pull off some pretty damn good tones with this unit. My JC-120 is an amazing clean amp, but I wanted the best of both worlds, great clean / great tube overdrive. I've tried a few units from the Keeley TS-9 and RAT MODs to the Hughes and Kettner Tube Factor. None of them really pulled off a good tube sound and I was worried that I would have to either ditch the JC-120 for an overdriven amp or get a new combo just for use as an OD. I am happy to say this unit adds a whole new dimension to my JC-120. With the right tweaking, the tones on this unit are really focused and pull off the tube amp emulation pretty damn well. It's really responsive and allows the subtle nuances of an actual tube amp to shine through.

About this part, it is completely plug and play. It may take a little time for you to get used to it, since you can find lots of very different tones from it, and the knob control is very sensible. I believe it's the esiest amp simulator available.

I'm using it in serial with various effects in serial. The sequence, in order from guitar to amp is: Crybaby Dunlop GCB 95, Compressor Marshall ED 1, Mesa/Boogie V1 preamp, Sansamp GT2,Digital Sampler Delay Boss DSD 2 and finally an Arion Stereo Chorus. I plug it all in a 95 Strato and a Trace Elliot amp. You can get almost any sound you want when you use V1 preamp with little gain. You instantly put valves into your great tone stomp box. Gotta be careful with the gain tough. It can get really loud. More than you will ever need. It would be perfect if it had some valves.

For this matter i will give it an 8 because i had a little problem with it. Once it started to fail on the gain control. It started to whistle a very high frequence, every time i stopped playing. I won't give it less than 8 because i just passed some lube oil on it and it stopped for never to happen again.

Never needed them.

This stomp box is useful for any kind of music and specially for a guy like me: I play in very different bands, a blues one and a 80's Hard Rock/Hair metal one. I don't need to have different effects for them, you can really play from Death Metal to Stevie Ray Vaughan on it and change these tones within seconds. The controls are very sensitive, you would not want to put em all in max. It will destroy your ears and give you a new concept about guitar noise.

There are a lot of options, so obviously, experimentation is the key. The sounds available in this little box are incredible. No lie. Everything from an out of control MESA Dual Rectifier to a ballsy 70's Marshall (my favorite) to a slightly overdriven Fender Tweed. And they sound REAL. It is remarkable.

The sound quality is second to none. The actual distortion itself is of VERY high quality. It REALLY REALLY sounds like a tube amp being overdriven. You can fine tune exactly what you like by changing the "mic" placement control. Basically that changes how much mids to bass/treble ratio there is.

I have used this pedal with a variety of amps (Fender Twin, Concert, Blues Jr, Dual Showman) as well as Marshalls (JCM 800, old Plexi). This pedal is great if you need ONE pedal that can span the gamut from bluesy Keith Richards to crunchy Angus Young, to over the top Dimebag. I am not exaggerating either. All the sounds in here sound real and not at ALL artificial. If you want the sound of REAL tubes without the hassle, this is one of the best pedals you can get. And they are affordable!!!

The one thing that may be of concern to many people (on both sides) is the flat midrange of this pedal. You can set it from natural (flat) to the most scooped sound I have heard from a pedal without sounding artificial. Although there is midrange on hand, it is not of the Tube Screamer, Super Overdrive variety. It is much flatter and less nasal. That is a quality that many people like. I personally LIKE that midrange at times, and set it to get as much of it as possible.

I personally set it like this mic="classic" (has the most mids), gain="clean" (there is still PLENTY of gain via the gain control), and style="British". I am going for that really big, natural 70's Marshall sound wiith NO fuzz. This pedal does it SO well. Very musical and authentic sounding. That is no surprise though because these Tech-21 guys INVENTED the SansAmp which is without a doubt the single best guitar amp modeler available anywhere. These guys REALLY understand what it takes to produce a real, authentic tube amp simulation.

And for the record, there is NO comparasin between a SansAmp and a Line6. The Line6 sounds like a cartoon of a guitar sound. That's why they throw in all those effects, to distract your ear. The SansAmp is the real deal. No frills. Just pure amp simulation. Do an A/B at your favorite music store one day......

As far as reliability, I have done COUNTLESS gigs with this pedal without a backup. It is in the same exact housing as the Voodoo Labs pedals, but with a little latch door to allow you to change the battery without removing the back screws. NIce! (Voodoo Labs - are you listening)?

The switch is quiet with no pops and is like the new Maxon swithes on their classic series stuff. All top notch. The pots are as smooth as a real amplifier, and much better than almost every mass produced pedal out there that I have tried, with the exception of Voodoo Labs which are the same (excellent). This is the best you get before making the jump to boutique effects and spending over $200. And I have not seen the "boutique effect" that has this much control except for the Radial Tonebone which sells for $220 and is too big for many pedal boards.

The guys at Tech 21 are great. I have never needed any service from them, but have talked to them on the phone asking them questions about different products. They are friendly and genuinely care about guitar tone and their customers.

This is the sleeper pedal that no one talks about. It is awesome and more flexible than 99% of the stuff out there. Seriously, you could gig or record with this doing any style from Blues to all out Metal and sound like the real deal. For the money, it is a no brainer if you are looking for REAL tube sound.

simple and intuitive. really easy to use. solid metal box, nice knobs, but switches are too small.

not so noisy and interresting sounds at most settings, quite impressive in wild settings, the sound is full and natural. better to find sounds with ears than following the settings recall sheets... also interesting with bass guitar ! nevertheless, unfortunately, the very last end of the tail of the distorsion is really CRAPPY and UNNATURAL !!... (mine was so, at least!)

the best would be to test it before buy it !

bought it at thomann.de. i sent it back and i was reimbursed.

i know several reconrding studio sound engineers use sansamp products instead of micing marshall etc. (well, that artistic choice depends on the music of course), i wanted to try myself for my little project studio and i was disappointed. maybe they use the rack version of the sansamp, well not necessarily i guess. or was it a defective product i had, as it often occurs with some brands with low quality control, i don't know... mystery of the electronical machines... next time i see a gt2 or any other sansamp in a physical shop, i'll try it to verify... now, continuing my research of my magic weapon, i'm gonna try zvex super hard on !...

The features include three switches each containing three options giving a total of 9 different amp models and 4 dials (level,high, low, drive). I was easily able to get a desired tone by tweaking it within the first 2 minutes I tried it.

This is hands down the best effects pedal I have ever used. I run it through a peavey Bandit or a Roland Cube 30 and this thing sounds great on both amps. The metallica or the mesa boogie patch pretty much comes as close as possible to nailing their tone without micing the amp. Im able to get an awesome palm mute crunch on that setting. I can Nail the Led Zep tone with The british, High gain, & classic setting, as well as the AC/DC tone by flipping the first switch up to center, or high wired. Overall this pedal does an outstanding job of achieving high distortion while not muddying up my notes.

It looks like its durable enough to handle high usage however, I havent used it long enough to know.

I've tried such pedals as the Big Muff, Boss Metal Zone, fulltone 69 & 70,and the Marshall Blues breaker and this one destroys all of them. The general sound of the Sansamp on all channels is a smooth tone that accentuates each note with sharp precision unlike all other pedals I tried which give a dominating destortion while losing the guitar tone. If I lost this pedal I would definantly get a new one. Other wise the only other option is to spend tens of thousands of dollars to get a marshall stack, or a mesa Boogie amp, mixers, preamps, and to rent out a bombshelter in order to play all that equipment without pissing off the neighbors. I think the first choice is better.

well i got mine 2nd hand without a manual and have got great sounds out of it so it's easy. the only thing i'd want to know is what the different mic positions are supposed to mimic. i mean it doesn't really matter cos i just set it to what sounds the best with the sound i have but i'd like to know all the same.

i thought i'd never say this but my keeley blues driver has it's work cut out for it to stay in the chain. maybe use it as a boost or just another flavour of overdrive but this little black box is orgasmic. i bought it 2nd hand #75. went home plugged it in zzzzzzzz i was like k wait till i make the dude that ripped me off eat this. then i tried another lead and bam.... there was THE tone. 5 minutes tinkering... darkness, ac/dc, bon jovi tones pretty much bang on. like them or not those bands have great guitar tone. the fact that this box can pretty much nail them speaks volumes. all the channels are really nice. the fender clean is unbelievable, i'll probably end up using this for acoustic gigs too, the marshall sounds pretty bang on and the mesa mode sounds great too. makes my marshall 2x12 combo sound tiny when a/b'd. testiment to the greatness of this. my bro has been asking where he can get one cos it sounds so good and the only other pece of gear i have that he's done that with has been my kleeley blues driver. usually it's that sounds crap or you need to eq it better. i can't actually wait to run my eq past this bad boy to get an even better grip on the sound.

built like a tank. dunno if it would win a fight with a boss but it wouldn't be far behind

not had to deal with them yet. doubt it'd do much good since its 2nd hand.

i play melodic rock like the calling, matchbox 20, u2, bon jovi etc... and this pedal has everything i need in it. i don't like to try and nail peoples tones bang on cos in the end all your doing is copying somethign someone else has done but although this can do nice soundalikes, it's also really easy to get a good sound of your own which is really what i'm after.

can't imagine much it wouldn't be good for. clean for jazz and blues, marshall for classic rock and the mesa for over the top stuff. top buy people. if anyone wants to exchange setting or ideas on the gt2 then feel free to email me.

the only thing i can take away from it is u only get one setting and since there's so many good sound in it it seems a bit of a shame for live situations. for this it gets a 9 though i'm considering buying another one so i can have them going clean and dirty onstage.

REAL EASY

I don't know if anyone still has one exept myself but the old gallien krueger 250 ml amps were made for the sansamp gt2. It sounds killer through the combos speakers for a real portable jamming rig, just unbelievable through a stereo 4-12 cab. The eq section of the 250 ml really fits this pedal. It tears me up to say this but it kicks my marshall jcm2000 dsl's ass. If you see a gk 250 ml cheap, use it with the sansamp gt2 and a stereo marshall cab. But be carefull not to scratch your guitar as you're BOWING DOWN TO THE MIGHTY GOD OF TONE!

Not very hard. The only thing that might confuse anybody is the mike position switch but it doesn't make too huge of a difference anyways.

I use this with a Fender Hot Rod Deville 2x12---->morley wah---->Boss ME-33--->50's reissue strat/ESP EC-1000/'71 Conrad see through. For the mesa settings it sounds AMAZING with the ESP with a set neck and EMG 81's it sustains forever and sounds extremely heavy, but not too noisy. The 'tweed' setting is a very pleasant surprise for me being that the OD on my amp sucks. It gives a very decent blues tone through my strat, especially using a JB Jr. p/up in the bridge. When I bought this my salesman friend said this pedal could make my fender sound like a marshall and i didn't believe him. But this thing definitely does the job. I could play in a metal band if i wanted to. seriously.

It's metal and the switch is metal everything on it seems pretty unbreakable. The knobs are very sturdy rubber. I haven't battle tested it yet but i've beat it up a little bit and it hasn't gotten a scratch.

I play all kinds of rock and roll/blues/metal. This is a great match for me. I have been playing 8 years and have owned or played a lot of distortion this one really takes the cake. I would buy it over and over until I find a better one. Its great.

I don't think it could be easier to use.You may be in trouble though wanting to change your sound on a dark stage,and unless you have a few bars break in your parts,you can't shift between sounds within one song.I think TriOd makes it possible.

Sound quality is superiour to any distortion pedal I've ever heard or owned.I don't consider it as an emulation of tube sound,but just a good stomper.I wouldn't connect it directly to a mixer in a studio either.So it does not do what it's designed for,but I don't mind it.Instead it has a great distortion sound on every equipment I've used(that includes some velvstate Marshalls,Leney and tube Fenders).It even sounds acceptable on my small mini Marshall Ms-2.Clean/blues sound is not that good though,and SRV setting really doesn't deserve its name.But Metallica does.Everyone knows how hard it is to find a decent distortion sound that would be cool for rythym and leads,and this little stomper really provides you with any hardrock sound you would like to get.It's especially useful on stage,where equipment sometimes is hardly one of your dreams. I'm giving 10 for distortion,5 for clean sound (well, is not that bad)

It's well made,really sturdy.Again,if it was a studio effect,it didn't need to be packed in a tank.The effect has met the mother earth a few times,falling from quite a considerable hight and it didn't even switched off.

Haven't dealt with them.

It's not very difficult to use, but you MUST understand HOW this unit works (which'll take no time at) before you can really get the most out of it. Also, theres the unofficial GT2 website http://milaa.tripod.com/SansAmpGT2/; that has a ton of cool settings.

I've been using this as a distortion pedal through various amps; whenever at a rehearsal studio where you have no choice but to use whats there. I find that this unit sounds GREAT with certain amps, then so so with others. I can get an amazing distortion sound using the GT2 with Fender amps, matchless amps, basically any decent amp that has a nice warm clean sound. I used the mesa setting, center miked, with the clean setting and the drive at approximately 2 o'clock, and I got a HUGE heavy, cool sound. Believe it or not, our drummer said it sounded like my tremoverb. Like almost all distortion pedals; depending on what amp you use, you'll get a sound that will depend on what gear you're using. If you play a Les Paul through the GT2, through a Fender Twin, you'll sound brilliant. If you play it through some lame guitar with shitty pickups and a Gorilla amp, yes, you may sound like shit. As for the clean sounds, I can only use the fender cleans on this. The mesa and marshall settings will only clean up if you roll off your volume control on your guitar(even with the gain on the GT2 set almost all the way down). Actually, if you have a non distortion amp that gets a really nice warm clean sound, the fender settings can layer it nicely to create a nice warm overdrive. Anyway, Direct recording is what this was designed for and it does it well. I recently recorded with this and it saved my ass! We went into a cheap studio to record some songs, and the amp they had there was NOT going to cut it. I just plugged into the GT2 and then directly into the board, and I got a great clean sound and an even better distortion sound. I use the gt2 all the time and it's become one of my favorite. It costs less then it's predecessor; the sansamp classic, but I think it sounds MUCH cooler, more modern sounding. So the bottom line is that this is a very useful pedal.

it's built like a tank, but it seems to eat 9 volt batteries for breakfast lunch and dinner

Tech 21 nyc are GREAT with customer support; anyone who's dealt with them knows this

I'm giving this an 8, because it does what it does very well. Tech21 are a really good company who make really good products. I also have a PSA-1 preamp which sounds incredible, but I've gotten away from the rackmount thing, so I haven't used it in a bit. I'd like to see them come out with a head and/or combo version of the PSA-1.

Pretty straight forward. Doesn't get much easier than flipping switches and turning knobs.

I really wanted to like this unit. But it's pretty hard to get an "open" sound out of this unit. It's also very hard to get a warm overdrive sound. The overdrive is rather crispy and crunchy-kind of a Peavey solid-state distortion. You can dial in that tube-like sound at low drive settings...but it quickly turns to crispy-crunch rather quickly.

The eq is rather primitive. Need more options (like MID and PRESENCE)...especially at this price.

Also, having some rotary knobs to where you can dial in variations of the different options would be good. Like being able to blend a Tweed amp with a Marshall, etc.

If you like a thick/mid-rangey crunchy sound...this unit might be up your alley. But it's rather limited in tweakability, IMHO.

It still sounds like you're recording direct...as it doesn't really sound like a mic'd amp speaker.

It's also a bit too compressed sounding. Looking at the wave forms in Logic, it looks like a solid block as if heavy compression was applied.

Hooking up a Jazz bass...now that's a whole different matter. It ROCKS. Great direct sound for bass.

Seems pretty solid.

I play everything from rock, hard rock, metal, thrash, classical, country and blues. I have been playing for 18 years.

It's a nice, portable unit to get some basic tones.
I'm gonna return the unit as it's a little too thick and cripy for my taste. If I can find a used one on eBay for around $50-80, I'd snag it in a second for my bass. But for guitar, I'd look into mic'ing a Trademark 10 or consider another unit.

Tech 21's Trademark 10 amp looks to be alot more versatile than this unit. Too bad there aren't any dealers aroud here where I can check it out...as it has a more straight forward/traditional eq section.

I do like the aspect that it is analog. Better sounding/playing than my digital amp modeller. But the modeller gets the nod for better tweakability of sound.

This unit so easy to use that if you can't figure it out, you shouldn't be playing. The examples for different amp settings are good and are also a great place to start experimenting.

Sound quality was clean with nothing added to the signal. Putting this unit direct in gives you just the sound you want without any hiss or other nasty things.

Built like a tank. All metal construction and the switches and pots feel like they will last forever. Smooth controls and it stays where you put it due to the rubber backing. I wouldn't hestitate to gig without a backup. Maybe a extra battery or two, just in case.

I haven't needed any customer support. I did write them and tell them how much I liked it and they wrote back. So, I guess IF I ever needed help, they would respond the same way.

This is a piece of equipment I've thought of buying for long time, but never got around to it. I bought this unit that had been a demo in the store. For $99 I figured I'd give it a try. I should have bought one years ago. This thing ROCKS. It's worth every penny of the retail price and at half that, I feel like a stole it.

Very simple to use; you just set some switches and turn some knobs. Simple, but not necessarily easy. The knobs make fairly large changes in sound when tweaked, so dialing back to that sound you discovered "the other day" will take a bit longer than with a device that lets you store presets. There are no patches to store - all you can do is push the footswitch to bypass the simulation altogether.

Some devices seem to sound good with just about any guitar and others, like this one, need to be tweaked. This is a good thing. It means that the processor is fairly transparent to your guitar's individuality and needs to be adjusted for each instrument, much like a real amp. A strat plugged into it shouldn't sound the same as a Les Paul plugged into it.

The Sansamp devices supposedly "SIMULATE" real amps as opposed to digital devices like the POD which "model" them. When they first came out, these Sansamps were pretty cool. Yes, when you set it up right, the simulations are very good approximations of the real amps' sounds at certain levels and certain settings. You can even dial down from distortion to clean or nearly clean using just your volume control.

But that's where it ends.

The GT-2 is more of a pre-amp simulaiton than the whole amp - even considering the cabinet and mic simulation built in. On a real tube amp, even a small cheesy one like the Crate VC508, you can dial in some pre-amp saturation with the gain knob then jack up the master volume until the power section begins to saturate and get just a bit farty. At that point, you can use the guitar's volume control and your picking style to create tons of wonderful tones. By picking lightly and lowering your guitar volume, you can play with just pre-amp distortion. Dialing up and digging in engages the power section of the amp and elicits soft compression and a natural brilliance, sort of an aural exciter effect, that comes from the power tube(s) breaking up a bit. Dialing back on the guitar doesn't reduce the volume much, so you can go from clean to dirty without a change in levels. The GT-2 lacks this; the level control just adjusts the loudness of the whole signal. In this sense, it's not a very good simulation. One would think that it would be easy for Tech 21 to improve this a bit by having the Level control also progressively add slight compression and aural exciting while being adjusted upward.

Another problem is the EQ. I have owned a Tech 21 Trademark 10 amplifier which has circuitry based on the GT-2. It's 3-band EQ is much better than the 2-band version found here. It's more versatile and makes it easier to find good tones, especially for the Marshall and Mesa simulations which, ostensibly, you'll want to use more for hard rock and metal.

Speaking of the Marshall and Mesa simulations, they sound too similar in the GT-2. The Trademark 10 has better versions of each. Also, there are no usable clean sounds with these settings, thought the clean sounds with the Tweed setting are very very nice. The Sansamps have been around a while and while Line6, Digitech, Behringer and Yamaha have begun modelling many amps (including some boutique amplifiers), 3 basic simulations is all you get with this one. Tech 21, it's time to expand and stop resting on your older technology.

I found the cabinet and mic simulation only so-so and a tad harsh when recording direct. Running the output to another cab simulator provided a more rounded, smoother tone. The character of the distorions themselves was okay; going from cleaned-up to dirty pretty smoothly.

However, when going into the effects return or power amp input of my tube amp, this thing sounded much better! This is a great way to use this thing and you get to use the real amp's power tube saturation. Not too good going into the instrument input of that same amp; the sound was way too colored and it was very difficult finding tones I could live with. If you intend to use it this way, try to find as flat a setting as possible.

Soundwise, this needs help as a standalone recording device. As a pre-amp to a tube amplifier, it's better.

My unit was bought used and allthe pots were scratchy. A commercial contact cleaning spray helped things a bit, but the pot need to be replaced. It really isn't that old, so I have my doubts about reliability.

I did email them for a manual and they were not able to get me anything other than a jpeg with recommended settings. Yikes!

For the price, there are lower-cost digital modelling alternatives like the Digitech RP-100 (so-so sound but great features for the money), Behringer V-Amp and Line6 Guitar Port. It's great into a real tube amp's power section, but its lack of presets/memory locations limits it usefulness on stage. Also, remember that it has no effects like reverb, delay, etc. Newer digital modellers like the POD XT have come a long, long way since the GT-2 first debuted and though they are more expensive, you do get pretty much everything you need in one box.

If you can find a used one real cheap, it might make a good addition to your arsenal in some situations.

This thing rocks...re blues. It does a clean fender sound, and matches my marshall half stack while playing through my fender amp without breaking my back.
One draw back, you can't save your setting and stomp from one to the other. No biggie in your living room but on a dark stage,,,,,

73strat, bullet 10s, texas special pu's, 65 deluxe, or 900 jcm or 3x10 blues land Bluestone, even sometimes a fender champ or for really little places a battery powered crate limo or pig nose brand 30 watt hognose.

2 months and no problems, remember to take along an extra 9 volt

the only contact I had with tech 21 was to write them a note on line to thank them for such a good product. They actually wrote back. These people will be around after alot of others are gone.

I am a blues aholic, tone, tone, tone playing in a christian blues band in different venues such as prison, biker venues and the occasional church. I have played for over 25 years and had all the usual gizmos and stomp boxes. It is the best pedal I have ever owned and would buy it again in a minute. I like it so much I just ordered its big brother the tech 21 trademark 60 amp with the same circuitry. One other drawback is that it has no verb. but i use another pedal for that.

If you cannot figure this out, then you really don't need to be playing guitar.

Im using this with a Peavey 112 Bandit, a Dean Avalanche (2 stock single coils, and 1 stock humbucker), and a Boss CE-5 Chorus Ensemble. I play hard rock ranging from Creed to Metallica to Pantera. This pedal covers them all. If you have really good pickups, I really suggest you buy this. It will give you great tone. Before this I used the Boss MT-2 Metal Zone. The Metal Zone would muddy up the tone. This pedal does not!

This seems pretty strong a sturdy. The only thing that I would want better are the knobs. They are plastic, metal would've been better, but hey, its a great sounding pedal, I can't complain... By the way, I never gig without a backup.

I've never had to deal with them because of the pedal. When I e-mailed them with questions about the pedal, they were very fast and responsive though...

Like I said, I play rock ranging from Creed to Pantera. This pedal can cover a lot of really great tones. If you have a solidstate amp and you wanna beef it up with some "tube goodness", then buy this pedal right away!

It does not get any easier than this.

I use this with a 73 strat and texas special pickups. I have played this with a 65 fender deluxe, 73 fender champ and 94 Blues Tone. This will make the sound of the above amps by itself into a solid state amp and comes very close to my Marshall jcm 900. This is the single most usefull pedal I have used in over 25 years of playing.

so far.

Never had to deal with them. If the rest of their products are this good I am a customer.

For blues, this is it. The ac offers easier switching. I set this up in a series of Zoom 505 II, sans amp, dan electro tube screamer. With any of my amps it allows me pretty close to any tone I want.

This wonderful little gem is easy to understand and a pleasure to use. No guessing. No staring and trying to figure anything out. The controls are wonderfully simple. The manual is very informative and contains preset ideas to give you a quick start in using the GT2. Or you can just plug in and GO! It's that simple.

I use a very nice Carvin DC400 guitar. All stock. Tech 21 Sansamp GT2. Soldano Hot Rod 50 tube head. Some old A.R.T. effects (Multiverb 3 and SGE)hey, they weren't bad in their day, and a Peavey Butcher 4x12 cabinet with Celestion G12's. The GT2 is the icing on the cake. I can switch off and get straight Soldano tone, or I can apply the GT2 and get SO MUCH more wonderfully "rich" tones. None of that dime a dozen rasp that most other pedals produce. Pure quality. Like a fine wine! THE BEST pedal I've ever heard. Ever! I wish the rating went to 100!!!!

I bought it used so there's a good chance that it's been through Hell and gone. Anyway I've had it a couple weeks and it is starting to show signs of....I don't know.........fatigue I guess. But I suppose you would too if you were 8 or 10 years old and have been stomped on your whole life. The unit is built solid and heavy. I wish I had 2 or 3 more just to keep. I do plan to get at least one more. In this case you CAN"T have too much of a good thing! I give this category a 10 because this unit is showing it's age and wear and it's perfectly understandable to start having little problems after years of faithful service. Nothing major. Just needs a little TLC.

I doubt you will ever find a company who is as nice, polite, and as eager to satisfy a customer as Tech 21. They have proven themselves and I'm so grateful for their outstanding service. Two BIG thumbs up for Tech 21. Thanks guys. "You da bomb"!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I will most definately always use a Tech 21 product(s)! I think they know what musicians want and they bust their humps to supply it.
I play a fairly wide range of music and the GT2 covers them all. I've heard some of their other gear as well and was blown away each time. Check these guys out, You won't be sorry!

Unlike most other distortion pedals this beast bears more than standard Level, Drive, and EQ (in this case a Low and High) knobs (which are self explanitory), she also has three switches for mic placement, amp tone, and style of drive. These switches allow one to effect the overall way the pedal will work. MIC-basically effects the signal to noise ratio, MOD-effects the amount of fuzz in the drive. AMP- effects the tone of the fuzz. It is easy to hear, and no manual can explain it better than sitting down and playing with her. Get fruity, and paly with the switches unitl you find the tone you are looking for.

Unsurpassed sound quality for a pedal. Tube or otherwise this bad baby ROCKS! she can be full endless sustain with clean harmonics or a dirty fuzz that accentuates natural tone (as in tube distortion) I have been searching for that right distortion sound, even had the more expensive Sansamp Kurt used on nevermind. This one beats them all to hell and back. I at one point had somwhere in the neighboorhood of 30 distorition pedals, not to mention 8 different amps, vintage and new. This one is in my line up, usually the only one I use.

Normally this would also have been a ten. Built out of solid metal, nice lubed pots for a smooth life of tweaking. But out of the blue mine started squealing this awful screetch, Does so at random, and no damage to any circuitry or pots. A total freakin' mystery. Thouhgt it was an anomally but it has happened to others I know have the pedal. I wil replace mine, hope it is indeed a fluke, for I love this baby. ohter than that no problems of any kind.

I am unsure, I called tech 12, and they had nothing to say. But they were accessible which today is rare for a corproation we will go with seven. they lose points for not knowing anyhting.

If yours works and doesn't have the cogential squelching problem then you know as I do that this pedal is the fucking bomb. It offers more styles of distorion, and really crosses the range. Smooth. Clean. Often makes your amp sound like it belongs to Butch Vig. Selling yours, dumb move. The only drawback to Sansamp Tech 12 products, they are really pricy new. Guess they know what they make

Ok, I made a review before and I'm gonna have to alter this to fit my opinions of the pedal now.

Simply put, this pedal is EXTREMELY sensitive and can go through a huge range of sounds. I was having problems with it sounding all harsh but that was obviously because I was just using it as a distortion pedal instead of an actual preamp.

It's not a pedal to sit down with and get the PERFECT sound, it's something that you need to keep tweaking to get great sounds out of.

I'm using an Explorer with an EMG 85/60 pickup combo. I run it into the front end of a Peavey Bandit(yeah, I know) and I've used it a bunch for direct recording on my computer. Basically what I do is have it for my distortion and have the amp just set for clean. The problems are that Peavey Bandits obviously aren't that great and when you put the GT2 before another preamp, the sounds are boosted in mostly the wrong frequencies so that it can become really harsh. Run straight into the power amp, it sounds completely different. I always have to boost the treble when recording direct or going into the power amp, so obviously it's the amp's fault and not the pedal's, seeing as how the pedal sounds great on it's own.

The stuff I play is a cross between Further Seems Forever and Hopesfall, the distortion I want is just crunchy enough for occasional muted parts and heaviness, but articulate enough for arpeggios and alot of open strings and "big" chords. It's obviously a REALLY hard sound to get and considering that I can get it out of this setup in a decent degree says alot. What I really need is a Tri-AC so I can have all my sound coming from that rather than the amp.

I rated this a 6 before when it should be about an 8, so I'm averaging with this rating.

It's a tank, I'd only be worried about the adapter. After alot of use the nut on the back of the footswitch gets a bit loose and I have to tighten it up with pliers, but that's like once or twice in the past two years, not a big deal.

Never had to.

Again, my style is a mix between light and heavy with alot of melodic playing. I've been playing for about 6 years. I think I'm selling it to pick up a Tri-AC(hey, I'd rather get a JCM 800 half stack but I can't justify having something that drastic for local shows and small tours) simply because I want to have three sounds right there that I can run right into the power amp of my Peavey amp so that I can avoid the Bandit's natural sound.

Basically this pedal is great and very usable, but it's just one sound and that's about it. For direct recording, I couldn't recommend it more. For live use, I guess the Tri-AC would be the better choice.

I'm a huge fan of Tech 21 stuff just because of my experience with this pedal and the sounds other people have gotten from them(the bassist from Bane uses their higher end bass amp and he has by far the greatest bass sound I've ever heard). Oh yeah, this thing IS absolutely amazing for bass players as well, run a bass direct with this and you'll be pretty stoked.

Great pedal.

Turn Knobs, Flick switeces... Easy as that...

The Quality is superb. I use two Marshall Jackhammers for my metal tone, whihc I thought nothing would ever be able o compare. The GT@ does, with so much more depth. Also, I could never find a heavy enough pedal for my Jap Strat, so I was using a Danelectro Fab Tone. But this, I coudl find a heavy enough tone... At any rate...
I only got it yesterday, and I've alraedy fodun settings I like that emmulate tones like John Petrucci, Steve Vai, and James Hetfeild.
Unfortunetly, I'm having a trouble finding a nice U2/'The Edge' tone I like with my Line 6 DL4. Here's my setup.

Fender Deluxe--Line 6 DL4--Boss EQ--Boss Tremolo--Boss Phase Shifter--Boss TU2---Marshall Jackhammer--Marshall Jackhammer-- GT2 -- Electro Harmonix electric Mistress-- Electro Harmonix Mini Q-Tron-- Crybaby -- Ernie Ball Volume Pedal -- Fernandes Tele/Fender Jap Strat

I tried to see if teh placement of teh GT2 would affect anything, but no matter where I put it in teh setup (other than before the DL4), the GT2 comes out crystal clear in any posisiton!

It seemed light at first, so I thought it may not be built well, but it seems so... Then again, I've only had it for 24 hours or so, so it's too soon to tell.

Give er'!

If anyone has found a decent 'Egde' (U2) tone, send it to me to the email, that'd be great.

if you can't use this, then perhaps you're too stupid to be alive

Ok, here's where I get to share my discovery with you... I use the GT2 for direct recording and for live situations as well. As far as getting a sound on DAT or anolog tape, this thing kicks! I can get as heavy or as light as I want. Mesa, Marshall, Fender(eh, so so) I can even use a super high gain marshall setting that sounds kinda like a soldano I used to have. Anyway, I almost always use this to record, because it's so damn easy; nothing big to mess with and u get a consistantly great sound. Now live.. well, I must honestly say that the super high gain settings sound great through the P.A or though a decent poweramp, so when I feel lazy, I'll plug in the GT2 instead of lugging around my tremoverb half stack. It ALWAYS sounds great. If u use a higher gain setting on the gt2 in front of a guitar amp, you'll have to adjust the amp for a nuetral setting, otherwise the whole point of amp emulation is lost in all the extra coloration that an amp's EQ section will add. Wanna know a secret? If you use the gt2 in the california, clean setting with the gain at at least 50%, this makes for an awesome distotion pedal. I used this setting with a matchless cheiftain; at a rehearsal studio, and it sounded amazing. The GT2 is like a magic box for me, I've got everything I need.

this box was worth whatever I paid for it. I use it all the time. But you formulate your own opinion.

as long as u understand the dynamics of this thing(it's more than just tweaking), u need to understand how the dip switch settings work with each other. Some settings don't sound so good live, but AWESOME direct to tape.

I use this for direct recording and live use. Live, I use it with my marshall 50watt plexi. I use the GT2 in the clean mesa setting with the gain at 60% and the tone controls at the neutral position. The gt2 combined with the plexi's crunch and a sonic maximizer, give me an AMAZING, ARTICULATE, THICK crunch sound that I LOVE! This is my main sound. People think I'm using some kind of mesa amp, but it's just the GT2 with the plexi's natural tube warmth. I LOVE this sound.

so far, so good

n/a

very versatile pedal. The cleans are nice, the distortions are brutal, etc.... I'll use it for a LONG time to come.

very easy to use, not too many dials or switches. The manual is great, but you probobly won't need it.

I bought this because I collect gear and I heard it was a great pedal, so I got one. I have a mesa tremoverb head with a mesa 4x12, a nice rack system with a mesa 2:90 amp and a snasamp psa-1 preamp running into a marshall jcm900 4x12. I first started using the GT2 strictly for rehearsals; plugging it straight into the front of whatever amp was in the studio we happen to be in. I got so used to the simplicity of this that when we play out, I plug the gt2 directly into the P.A and get a consistantly great tone. Does it sound as good as my other two expensive pro setups? Yes it does, in my opinion. It doesn't sound better or worse, just different.

no problems yet

n/a

I bought this, because Kurt Cobain used a sansamp pedal. He actually used the sansamp classic, not the gt2, but I like the sound of this better, it's sounds more contemporary. I get get some heavy as shit sounds from this and some nice clean sounds too. I really like sansamp stuff and I can't understand why line6 is so popular and not sansamp? They were there first, AND they do it better. This is a great sounding pedal and it can be used for all kinds of music.

Same as the other 116 reviews for this preamp pedal.

My main guitar is a very old, and extremly heavy Jackson with a single EMG 85 in the bridge. I mostly use this unit for recording into my computer hooked up to a set of Boston Acoustic speakers, the sound is amazing. I tried just about every digital modeling unit out there, and they dont compare to this. I use the British setting on hot wired and centre position for the mic, Level 1 o'clock, high 2 o'clock, low 1 o'clock, drive 2 o'clock. When i gig, I use one of these going to the A channel of my randall power amp, and another GT2 going to the B channel of the power amp. The power amp is hooked to a stereo Marshall 1960 cabinet. I use a Marshall setting on the A, and a Boogie setting on the B and mix the two channels going to the cab. The setup is pretty simple and sounds mind blowing. The only way to get a amazing sound out of this unit is to hook it up to an Amplifier/P.A./Board that wont color the sound at all. All of my friends that have tried out this pedal hooked to my PC or my rig for live shows was been blown away by the authenticity and character delivered by this pedal.

The pedal died on me after about 3 months, sent it back to the company, and they fixed it under warranty and I had back within a 2 weeks of shipping it out. Since then no problems.

Great to deal with.

This pre amp pedal is fu*$ing amazing, for the price you pay. I play nothing but hardcore old school punk rock, and a little bit of rock. I have been playing for 4 years, and I never plan on getting ride of this pedal.

Four knobs:- Level, Drive, High and Low. The high and low are cut/boost knobs. Three mini switches:- Mic placement, Mod and Amp style. Dead easy and straightforward. All the switches are labelled up so no probs there

As previous rewiews state, this is a direct recording pedal. I must admit i've never used it for this purpose. I use it with a Gibson GA15 valve amp into a marshall 1960A cab. I have a few other hybrid and class a/b amps but this pedal shines with the Gibbo. It really does sound like the Recto and Marshall models. The Fender setting isn't so accurate, but from my experience, the only way to get Fender twang is to play through a Fender. Not a bad clean though! I'll give it a 9 because cranked up with my Gibbo on the Recto setting, this thing sound awesome. It has a huge bottom end and really nails tight riffing.

I'd gig without a backup. Mine is a few years old, and bought 2nd hand off eBay. It's rock solid to be honest. The only way a pedal like this could break is through extreme abuse (or size 12 DM's!!!)

Great build quality and sound, and easy to use. Just make sure it's used in the right context! With my JCM2000 or AVT2000 it sounds crap. But with my Gibbo it sounds fantastic. Can't comment on direct recording. That in itself isn't my thing (although it is convenient, i've yet to hear a direct recorded sound that sounds anything like the real deal)

The SansAmp GT2 is one of the most overlooked products in guitar accesory-dom. Infact if Tech21 had line6's marketing techniques i believe it would be them on top of the world because their products are far far superior.

The GT2 is very simple to use. You flick 3 switches up and down to create the tone match that you want. Dial in the level treb, bass, and drive..hit the switch and you're off. Very simple. No, parameters, no pages, no double pressing.

I actually have two setups now depending on the application. For low volume levels or when its just best suited i use the GT2 otherwise i use the Mesa Boogie Nomad. Either way the nomad is used for power amp.

SETUP 1) Ibanez JEM/RG --> Bad Horsie Wah --> GT2(off) --> Mesa Boogie Nomad 45 1x12 -->FXLOOP Boss Chorus --> Boss Delay

SETUP 2)Ibanez JEM/RG --> Bad Horsie --> GT2 --> Boss Chorus --> Boss Delay --> Mesa Boogie Nomad.

I haven't noticed that it is particulary noisy.

This little pedal is a godsend. I cant believe why it isn't incredibly popular. The tone it gets through modelling is mind blowing. But when I say modelling its not in the synthetic fake nasty line6 digital vein. Its all analogue and I believe that makes a huge huge difference. When you play the GT2 it not only really sounsd like a fender twin, or a marshall plexi, or a boodie recto, but you can feel the sound coming out the amp, very similar and almost like a true tube amp. It responds to your atack your guitar tone, volume knobs.

Set to fender tween, high gain, centre mic placement, and about 10-11 oclock on the drive is a nail biting perfect SRV tone, that could only be enhanced by sticking a tube screamer before the GT2.

Set to california, modded, off axis, and about 12-2 ocliock on the drive, gives a bone shaking John Petrucci of Dream Theater sound!!

Its so real i've had people swear on recordings i've used the real amps.

You raelly have to listen and feel hard to hear the consistency in its clippings. And if you do that then you will hear that it is not the real thing. Also you dont get that glassy bite, and clarity that you ONLY get with a real tube amp. But as far as a low volume practise or multi-amp sim tool goes this thing is amazing. Live or Recording

Well I got it used off of EB. And it came in a rough condition but it worked perfect. About 6 months later i started having some squeely noises come from it and then the sound was intermitently cutting out. So i took it in for repair and it was just some dry joints. No Prob came back better than whjen I got it.

I cant rave about the reliability cause it has cut out on me but thats only cause I bought it used off the net. I'm 100% that If i had bought it from new this baby would have lasted me a lifetime. You sould treat your gear with respect!

N/A

I play quite literaly every style. And this pedal holds all those styles in one box

I've ben playing 10 years now (half my life gosh!) and the other gear i own was listed above.

If it were lost or stolen I'd probably get the tri-ac which is exactly the same as the gt2 however it has 3 stomp buttons for sotring 3 memories presets.

Nothing else compares to this, well except maybe the other tech 21 high end products - but even then I think this is the best value tone that you can get.

Wish it had some preset memories but that can be fixed by getting the tri-ac!!!

It certinaly helps make music. Parts can be recorded very quickly and effectivley.

If u can figure this out, then play acoustic

Ok, let me say something here: THIS IS NOT A DISTORTION PEDAL, THIS IS A DIRECT RECORDING PREAMP! IT WAS DESIGNED FOR DIRECT RECORDING, SO IF U WANT TO GET THE BEST TONE FROM THIS IN A LIVE SETTING, USE IT WITH THE LEAST AMOUNT OF COLORATION, I.E A POWERMAP WITH NO TONE CONTROLS AND A GOOD SPEAKER CAB. When u use this as a distortion pedal with a guitar amp, the amp will add too much coloration and muddy up the sansamp. If u really want to see what this thing is capable of, listen to it through headphones...Amazing.

seems solid

If used properly, this thing is outstanding. If used incorrectly, it can sound not too good. Just use it correctly. Also, call the guys at Tech21NYC for advice, they're really knowledgable and helpful.

very simple, just flip switches and dial in what sounds good

this thing sounds awesome! I've always loved sansamp stuff. I bought this to use whenever I go to a rehearsal studio with my band. I'm usually not too happy with whatever amp happens to be in the room we get, so this was suppose to fix that, and it did. My main amp is a mesa tremoverb, and I can get an equally, yet different but still more than acceptable sound. This this is very cool.

so far so good

I emailed with a question and got a response within the half hour

I love this thing and can definitely see this becoming a major part of my sound.

Real easy. You do not need a PHD to use this sucker

No noise at all. And I use it both between my guitar and an amp or direct. This thing can make a pig nose sound like a Triple Rec (or dam close. If you roll off with your volume it rolls off. It is very sensitive to how you play. IF you dont have the bread for a Triple Rec this is it. My band made has one and we compaired the GT-2 into a Fender Twin to the Red and it was close.

IT is a Tank.

I do not know. I have never had to deal with them.

I use this for blues, Rock and death Meatal. It can go from Steve Rey to Van Halen to Metalica. The only draw back is that would would need three boxes live to swith between these sounds. I played this last night through a Pig Nose Using a guitar that I built(swamp ash charvel boddy and a duncan custom)the thing sounded like Van Halen 1. Look go to the store at find the worst amp you can find hook it up and see if I am shitting you. I have a Pod and I still have not had to use it.

Easy to use and modify tone. The manual is more than adequet ... how hard it is to understand how to use this box? Easy to get pretty damn good tone / sound with seemingly infinite variation. The cabinet sims are very useful and the minimalist control setup is fantastic for experimentation and zeroing on the tone you are looking for. The minuses are

a) you cannot save patches and the box does not have markings around the knobs so you can get back to your favorite patches exactly. However, it is an easy matter to just write down your setting for certain songs. In this regard, it falls way short for live use unless you just punch it in for certain songs (i.e. a Van Halen cover or something).

b) there is a fairly high level of sensitivity in the controls and some interaction. Getting to the tone you want is not 100% a linear tweeking process. Tech 21 makes note / warns you of this in the manual. This is really minor, but worth noting.

Use this box mostly as a direct record box into a Rockman Chorus delay, Behringer DSP1000 reverb on the aux bus of the board, BBE. I have also used it with startlingly good success plugged into my Yamaha QY100 (with pre-amp gain turned all the way down) and using a cascaded AMP sim where the QY100 amp sim is clean or mildly overdriven. I can get some fantastic clean and bluesy tone out of the combo for direct record that you cannot get out of the GT2, POD, etc.. It shocked me when I fiddled with it and I used this combo often. It actually resolves a mild shortcoming in the GT2 for clean tones (see below).

I also have used it with success live in the effects loop of my Marshall for higher overdrive. It just cannot be used successfully in front of a tube amp IMHO. It has also worked for me very well in a couple of impromtu jam sessions where I pulled it out of my guitar case plugged directly into a PA and pulled a little bit of magic to everyone's surprise. Surprisingly good in this regard, though not like playing through a Marshall, of course.

I have a Carvin SC90S, Fender Strat w/ Fat 50 pups, Ibanez 540S. The GT2 excells for fat hard rock and highly overdriven tone. The dynamics and feel of this box for this area of tone specture for the price is amazing. Think Judas Priest, EVH, etc.. Able to get great sustain, pinch harmonics, tonal dimensionality. Truely outrageous for the $$$!

Where it does fall short in the cleaner side or just slightly overdriven tone. For instance, if you want to play early Stones or Beatles you can get decent tone, but it's dynamics seem somewhat suppressed even with the level control up all the way. I am able to get a better clean tone from my Marshall DI output. I would rate it adequent in this respect (but plug it into the Yamaha QY100 and wow!).

Still, the overall tone / sound over all settings is unfatiguing natural analog-like with none of that buzz or lifelessness I hear with most of the patches on the POD 2, V-AMP2, and Digitech RP300 (thought this pedal was horrible). Lower priced digital still is not there IMHO. Does it replicate tubes, nothing really does. But can you get a wide range of awesome tone that drives you emotionally as a player, YES!

Seems to be built like a tank. Really happy with the construction and should last forever. Battery lasts a long time. Tone seems to IMPROVE very slightly as battery drains down. This is true for other pedals I have used.

Have not needed to use them, and don't expect to by the way it is built.

I would buy this again in a heartbeat. I compared it directly with the POD 2 and V-AMP 2 over several days and while the GT2 is just a distortion box, it is hard to live with the distortions in the digital competitors after you play with the GT2. The overall tone I get with the GT2 ($70) into the Rockman Chorus / Delay ($100), and some added reverb on my mixer via the Behringer DSP1000 ($90) BLOWS the POD2 away in all respects short of saving patches, at less than the price of the POD2 if you get everything used (which I did). This is not BS, it is reality. Truely a fantastic value for direct recording or into a PA setup in a pinch.

The only real minus is that you cannot save patches, but at the price, tone, construction quality, I do not care.

Can't rate it high enough. Download the sample mp3 files from their site. Enough said!

Just an update, their customer service is superb! They respond to emails within 24 hours, and are very helpful. Had a small problem with a pot, and they gave detailled solutions via email. All fixed, no cost, no worries! Other companies could learn a thing or two by observing how Tech 21 look after their customers!

Simple as. Pretty much a no brainer. To quote their instruction book: "Getting started is way entirely too easy". Choose your amp, your gain-type, and mic position. Then adjust the levels. Anyone can get a great sound out of this unit. Tech 21 even include sample settings in their manual.

Does what it says it would do! Sounds amazing! Not only does it sound like 3 real tube amps, you can change things like mic position, gain levels and eq. I have read that many people say that this is the best tube emulator on the market for direct-recording (eg: PC), but I say that this sounds damn good in front of my Peavey Studio Pro 112 Transtube (clean channel).

Emulates the phat saturated sound of the Fender amp (Tweed), raunchy Marshall stack (British), and meaty MesaBoogie (California). Most distortion/overdrive pedals sound good only in front of a tube amp. This is designed to make SolidState sound unreal! Add a slight chorus (eg: CE2) and delay (eg: DD5), and you sound even better! Incredible! Visit the GT2 sounds page at Tech 21's site, and listen to the mp3s. You too can sound like this!

I have played a Line 6 Flextone Plus modelling amp, and this wee unit is up there. Just remember that this unit is NOT a multi-effects unit like the Line6 (Flextone, POD, etc) products.

Rock solid aluminium case. Knobs/pots are standard (same as most other effects units). I don't like pots as even the best pots can go bad. Yadda yadda yadda. Apparently batteries last for ages, but who would gig with batteries anyway?

Fast response to emails. They will repair the units for you.....

The SansAmp GT2 is a tube-amp emulator. It is not intended to be a multi-effects unit (ie POD, V-Amp). Think of it as a the BEST distortion pedal ever, that is modelled closely on 3 famous tube amps. Product does everything that is claimed! Can be used for direct-recording or in front of a PA or SolidState clean amp.

Straight forward knobs and switches.

I just got this so i havent spent much time with it but the little time i did i was blown away!
Usually when i practice i have to fire up my whole rig (ADA MP1 > Digitech IPS-33B > ART Mulitverb II > BBE Sonic Maximizer > Mesa 20/20 power amp. But with this little baby, i just plug it into my Marshall Lead 12 mini stack and wham! Instant wall of sound. Amazing.
I'm also curious to see what it will sound like for home recording - the main reason i got it.
I've heard that you really should use this thru an amp, but for practice it kicks butt!

Seems built like a tank. I don't gig with it, hard to say

Havent had to yet

I like playing 70's hard rock (UFO, Thin Lizzy) on up to 80's and 90's metal. This little thing can duplicate all the sounds that I want.
If it were lost or stolen, I would definitely buy another!
I compared this to the Genesis II and Zoom modeler, which has more built in effects, but the bottom line is TONE, which this has.

very easy to use, just a few knobs and switches.

I was really disapionted when i got mine. I had bought it off ebay after hearing great things about its tone. In reality it wasnt very good. I thought all the channels sounded the same, just with less gain. I know its not designed to sound like other amps in the same way as a Pod, but when it only gives one tone its hardly versatile! Ive now bought a VAmp2 and let me tell you, it blows this thing away. If you are looking for direct recording like i was, that is defo the unit to get. Dont be taken in by the fact its analogue and thus better its just marketing hype.

Solid lump of tank like metal

bought off ebay so no idea really. Their site is well set out tho and has sound samples to download.

I spent ages looking for quiet amps i could use at home to practise and record with, and in the end i gave up and relised a direct recording unit was the way to go. And based on its ability to deliver a host of great tones direct...it sucked. At the moment the VAmp 2 is the way to go, its cheap, sounds better than Pod and comes with a host of freebies (carrybag, footswitch)and thats what ive now gone and bought. Alot is made of the fact this unit is analogue and not digital like all these others But we are getting to the stage now with 3rd generation digital amps that sound almost as good as the real thing but with loads more flexability and a hell of a lot cheaper. Anyway... bottom line is i wasnt impressed with this thing.

Only use one sound for bass live rig (Ampeg SVT Setting): Off axis/Tweed/Clean, Master 11 o'clock, Treble 1-3 o'clock, Bass 1-3 o'clock, gain 11-12 o'clock. Front load into input of an Acoustic 760 head into Peavey dual 118 BW speaker cab. I use the Acousti'cs head GEQ for "euqalizing to the venue."

Occasionally used for guitar in studio/session into solid state dual Randall RG75s with JBL 1x12 speakers. Signal into Carl Martin Compressor -35-40db, 3:1, Breather 1 o'clock, Master 12 o'clock into GT2 (4 Settings):

a. SRV Tweed: Off Axis/HiGain/Tweed, Master 11 o'clock, Treble 11 o'clock, Bass 1 o'clock, Gain 12 o'clock.

b. SRV JTM-45: Off Axis/HiGain/Tweed, Master 11 o'clock, Treble 12-1 o'clock, Bass maxed out, Gain maxed out.

c. Plexi: Center/HiGain/British, Master 11 o'clock, Treble 11 o'clock, Bass 1 o'clock, gain 12 o'clock.

d. EVH: Off axis/Modded/British, Master 11 o'clock, Treble 11 o'clock, Bass 1 o'clock, gain 12-3 o'clock.

The key to prevent squeal is to find the setting for combo unity gain on the amp and equalize it at the SAME unity gain volume level of the pedal and NOT LOUDER.

It squeals at high gain volume when slamming the input of a guitar or bass amp head without setting unity gain.

Never failed since 1995.

Never contacted.

It works

I opened the box, plugged it in....tweaked the knobs to Krazy Metal sample setting.........it rocked.....tweaked a little more my sound was found. It's that simple.

the sound of this little box is monstrous. Not only does this little bastard give the fattest low ends but it gives screaming fucking highs as well. I play a Ibanez 320GP out of a solid state Crate GX1200 head into a Blue Voodoo Celestion Cab.........I run this little baby through the clean channel turn up the mids to about 6 lows to 5 highs to 6....and this little baby wails. Best thrash, death metal distortion I've ever heard.

I've dropped it from at least 4 feet high and the little bastard is still alive, and that was onto concrete I say it's very reliable,

Never had to call.

The only distortion pedal I will ever need whether live or recording.

Tech 21... you are great!!! I want to first say that anyone who can't get a "just about... but not quite " Great tube amp sound, you are lying!
listen... any guitar snobs who claim this not being the best True "bang for your buck" out there, YOU"RE WRONG! period. I may have bad grammer but, I know a gem when I see one! Flat out ease of use and REAL tonal diversity.

Strat with hotrail in the bridge. a few small transistor combos modified with vintage speakers, (I miss my marshalls!!) Alesis midiverbs, auto wah. umm some more, oh!... a sansamp. put away the "pod" get a good fx processor and use a ... sansamp. Thank me later :)

well.. lets just say that If I dropped it, I would not be happy. But, It'll still probably work fine, It feels tough.. just those plastic knobs seem a bit flimsy. I've gigged with the Tech21 Bass compactor to very good results and They have the same metal case.

never dealt with them but, I don't forsee any problems.. The way they make their gear is a (to me) testiment to their overall quality as a company.. Plus I live a few miles away in SI so I can just show up :)

This pedal is the best thing since sliced bread for getting a great sound out of any amp or console ( however... did not sound good through my marshall tube combo, it's meant for solid state power).... There are a LOT of good and bad reviews but I know what I like, and This to me sounds I as good/BETTER than ANYTHING! Go get me a Boutique pedal or rackmount and you'll pay 5 to 10x as much and be no better off. As far as these plastic digital things.. ok good sound but not GREAT!! they sound.. well... digital. aren't your ears hurting yet?...I think those people either like digital better than analog or.... can't tell a difference. Ok.. it's a matter of taste?... taste a sansamp and sell your digitoy. I DO NOT WORK FOR TECH 21>>>>>>> THEY JUST MAKE GREAT GEAR!!!

Straight forward: a variety of USABLE tones in a matter of minutes.

Using variety of guitars with variety of pickups. Depended on it quite heavily when I had a solid state amp (Peavey Studio 112)- if anyone is using a solid state amp, I would say that this is a must have!!! Since I have switched to tubes, I use it to color the clean channel on my Marshall JCM 800 every once in a while. Mainly use it for DI recording- creates interesting textures when combined with a miked amp (clean and distorted).

Unit is not noisy at all. You name it, this box does it: classic rock, rockabilly, punk. Not into metal, so I couldn't tell you bout that sound. Tone controls are limited to HI and LO. But with the amount of gain this thing is capable of- you could use an EQ pedal to scoop the mids.

Unit is pretty reliable- would gig without a backup. I give it a 9 in this category just because I would not use it very much live. I love the tones you can get from it, but I would find myself bending over too much to change the pedal settings. Anyone interested in buying this pedal and gigging with it should look into the PSA-1. It has MIDI footswitch capabilities ( and a few more tone controls as I understand).

Never dealt with Tech 21.

I play mostly indie rock- this pedal goes quite well: sparkling cleans and buzzy distortion. If it were stolen, I would prob buy the PSA-1. But this unit costs considerably less.

Works great with tube amps (eventhough it is a tube amp emulator). Anyone seeking an OD/DIST pedal should seriously consider it.

Give it a 9 just because (as I said earlier) I don't gig with it.

As far as pedals go, this pedal is a piece of cake to get used to, and finding new settings is extremely simple. The manual has some decent suggestions but its better to just expirement

Im using a 70's strat with a little 59 in the neck and a jb junior in the bridge in to a 78 Marshall 100 watt and a 65 Fender deluxe reverb. But i dont use this pedal into amps. I'm a firm believer in true-bypass pedals into tube amps. I use this pedal as an insurance policy. If my amp breaks, or, if i need to play through the worst of amps(even a bass amp) this pedal can still allow me perform with a great backup sound in case of emergencies.That's where this pedal shines.

This pedal is Mr.Reliability, it doesn't eat up batteries, and i've never needed a backup. The light gets low when the batteries are running out, but the pedal will still work a substantial amount of time afterwards.

Never needed to ask questions or call.

I've been playing for a decent amount of years, and i play every style you can think of. I'm more than demanding of my rig, and can go from metal to country to jazz in minutes sometimes. If the pedal were stolen, I would either buy it again or replace it with the Tech 21 Tri-Ac,the difference being that the latter has the option of three settings for easier transitions for style. Other wise, this pedal is a lifesaver. This pedal is all the amp-back-up you'll need for a basic gig, and its easy enough to store in your gig back, with an extremely quick setup. It does color the tone a bit, but since it is a backup, i wont take off too many points. And lastly, The Tech 21 trademark 10watt practice amp is also an amazing product that i would recommend to always have around for practice.

Very easy to use, 4 knobs, 3 3-way swichtes. Go to www.tech21nyc.com if you want more info or check out the Unoficial GT2 Homepage. But it's not like one knob and it takes time to tweak.

This unit kicks so much ass because it is an analog solid state amp modeller. It sounds very good clean and dirty, but has a tad bit of buzz, fuzz, and fizz when dirty. Listen closely if you want to hear it. I play thrash/death/black metal and it works fine. However, THIS UNIT IS FOR DIRECT RECORDING ONLY. DON'T EVEN TRY TO USE IT WITH AN AMP, IT SOUNDS LIKE SHIT.

Bought it used, seems to have held up well. I have an AC adapter for it which oughta be fine.

Never dealt.

I play thrash/death/black metal and this is my mian recording distortion.

O found this thing really easy to use..I wish there were pre-set switch from amp to amp types..but you can't win them all!!!!Not for this price..Manual is well written..

I had this thing plugged into a Messa/Boogie Rectifier 50 watt head and 4X12 cab and It was really hard to tell the differance in the tone I was getting between the preamp of the Messa and the G2..so I took it over to a Fender 56 watt Ultamite Chorus..and there it was!..The sound I was looking for! Real nice with a wide chorus..set EQ on amp to flat..Great for the extra channel for you amp..but better..

Looks to be tuff...would like them to come out with a rack mount for this and an extrenal switch..Looks really prone to hot hands..Allot of sound in such a little box..You could loose this thing down deep in your duffle bag..I would protect it with my life!..

Neaver had to deal with them..great support from supplier..

I play every thing from Dance Rock to Hard Rock, Funck, Country Rock..This thing does it all!..

My influences are Eddie Van Halen and Eric Johnson..I would not even look at another product..Love the tone I get out of this thing with my
USA standard Tele and my 87 Kramer USA Pacer!..Would like to see this thing rack mount with pre-select switch at the floor for amp type selects with out bending down to do it...