Demeter TGA-2 Head

100 watt two channel tube (even the effects loop is tube driven) head with a solo boost. Classic and elegant Marshall Plexi amp layout. Easy to dial in great sounds. What you see is what you get. Check out the Demeter web site for details. The only thing I wish it had was a volume control for the Solo channel (not technically a channel, more of a gain boost). So far it hasn't been an issue, though. The channels share the same EQ controls. The footswitch (which is extra) is built like a tank and has very visable LED lights that let you know what's going on. Kinda unique setup, but easy to get used to.

Wow this amp is something else. I play Alternative Rock (whatever that means anymore). Think A Perfect Circle meets PJ Harvey meets STP. I play Gibson Les Paul Classics with Duncan Custom pickups in the bridge. I started becoming rather disenchanted with my Line 6 amp, so I began my search the Holy Grail of tube tone. I had no idea it would be so tough. Many amps focus primarily on the overdrive tones, but I need versatility. I remembered that a friend of mine did an exhaustive amp search about 10 years ago. He bought the now-discontinued three channel amp (which I remember being kinda ugly. Thankfully, Demeter gave their amps a cosmetic overhaul)
Here it is:

The cleans are gorgeous! Very authoritive, with lots of headroom. It truly does have that classic Fender sparkle. I tried out a 63 Fender Bassman head a couple days before auditioning this amp. The Demeter was only slightly darker than that amp. Even the Fender Custom Shop amps I tried couldn't touch it. Very much like Jeff Buckley's tone.

The Crunch channel is spectacular. I was instantly reminded of "Surrender" by Cheap Trick and "God Save The Queen" by the Sex Pistol. It's very lively and responsive. There's a clarity here that is lacking in newer Marshalls. Those amps sound buzzy and distant. The Demeter responds to your pick attack like no other amp I've played. Great multi-dimensional sound.

The Solo channel isn't really a channel per se, but it kicks in a glorious, harmonically-rich gain boost. Reminds me of "Dumb Love" or "Down" from STP, whose guitarist Dean De Leo uses a Demeter pre amp. Unlike a lot of high-gain amps, every note is distinctly heard when chording. This too is very touch-responsive. Sounds great on heavier rhythm work. Much more clear than the Mesa Boogie Dual Rectifier I recently recorded with. The Boogie sounded very cold and muddy on both the clean and dirty channel.

I haven't had it very long, but everything about this amp feels solid. Demeter has a reputation for being very dependable. It has point-to-point wiring, which is unheard of at this price.

I went to the Demeter shop to test out the amp. There was only one guy there at the time, but he was very helpful and informative. My phone calls and e-mails were quickly responded to. Very cool people who are very excited about their products.

This amp is a dream! I know it sounds like I'm gushing, but I really do try to be informative and objective in my reviews here. This amp is really a work of art. The cleans stay sparkley at high volumes, and the dirty tone are something to behold. Back in the day, I used to use a rack full of effects, but the Demeter sounds beautiful all by itself. I don't even want to use my Line 6 Delay Modeler, which is the only effect I have in my chain, besides my Morley Wah. I tried tons of boutique amps that are double the price of my Demeter, and none could touch it. I'm kinda glad they aren't that well-known, or else I would have had to come up with about the same amount of money as a Soldano.

I think this is a 2000 Tga 2 Inverter head. 3 channels clean, mid crunch and overdrive. Basically a Fender Bassman channel, and Plexi Marshall channel and a switch to Overdrive and boost the marshall channel. Mine is a 50 watt also has a half power switch. These amps are killers, I also have a original TGA 3 combo. I use it through a Marshall 4x12 w/ 30 vintages

I usually use Gibson Les Paul Custom shop guitars. But it also sounds great with a strat i use occasionally. You can go from blues to classic rock to metal iin a flick of a switch. THough it does not really do a rectifier sound, But if you want your own sound this is the amp. Very much a marshall tone but kills any marshall I have used. Just ask Dean of STP, he uses them. We just recorded a cd and I used both the tga 2 and 3 together and it is HUGE sounding rip your head right off.

Just got it... so no problems, I have had my TGA 3 for almost 8 years I think I have had only 1 minor problem with that one.

Jim Demeter and the guys at the shop are the coolest guys, I have been to the shop several times. We I got this amp I called and talked with them for about 20 min. abot any differences between the two amps I have. They offered all kinds of info...very helpful

I have been playing 20 years, I have a few Les pauls, strat, etc.
Tga 3 combo, I would buy another one if stolen, because I like the idea of having two good amps in one unlike other multichannel amps.

This is a year 2000 50 watt head running 2 big Ruby Tubes 6L6s for the power amp section and some electro-harmonix pre-amp little guys.
There are 2 channels that share presence, mid, treble and bass. Bright swith on the clean channel. Each channel has its own master and volume. There is also a third overdrive channel that can be activated. So really a 3 channel amp. There is also a tube buffered effects loop. I would give it a 10 but it doesn't have reverb.

I run it through a re-issue Marshall 1960TV cab with greenbacks. I use a 60 reissue les paul with '57 Classics, a butterscotch tele and an ash bodied '57 reissue strat.

How does it sound?

UNREAL!

I play a lot of slide and would describe my playing style as scofield meets trey meets warren meets lowell meets wes meets steely d.

Finished laughing yet?

The amp cleans up really nice with lots of articulation and it responds extremly well to playing dynamics.

Clean sounds like my tweed deluxe.

Dirty sounds like a really nice old 50 watt plexi (think Billy G and Angus)

Overdrive is comparable to a nice Soldano SLO, if not nicer.

No noise, just pure tone.

So far so good. I have gigged with it about 5 times and have only had it a few months. We will have to see. I looks clean inside and Demeter has a pretty good rep with all his studio stuff.

Dealt directly with James and Stacey. Easy to talk to and answered all my questions. Thumbs up!

I'd get another one. A soundman at a gig I had in Tronto a month back said my tone was "mystical". Nobody ever said that to me before.

Go buy one and tell James that James from Toronto said so.

If you want further info, check my band "LMNOP" out on the world wide web at www.lmnop.ca

This is an early and rare TGA-2. Ser.#31. Two Channel Head - 50 Watts of (2 6L6) Tube Tone. Channel 1 is vintage Fender, with bright switch. Channel 2 is vintage Marshall, with a boost on the second channel that is actually the Channel 3 of the Legendary TGA-3 amps used by Sonny Landreth and Bonnie Raitt. Both channels have separate gain and master controls. Both channels share one set of EQ controls. Treble, Middle, Bass, and Presence. Also a tube buffered effects loop with the send and return controls on the front panel. Channel switching by footswitch or on the front panel.

I use a Clapton Strat, and a Suhr Classis w/3 single coils for Blues, Rock, and Country. Only effects I are a TC Electronic Booster+LineDriver+Distortion. This amp excels in all areas. From clean to distortion on any channel with the turn of the volume or mid-range boost on your guitar. Much easier to dial in a desired sound than a Boogie, believe me I've tried all of them. This is an amp where you can just plug in and get great results.

No need for a back up.

James Demeter and the folks at Demeter are the best, no discussion. I also own a Demeter Tube Direct.

I'm a firm believer in Demeter products. My other amp is a '66 Fender Super Reverb. I went through all of the options: vintage, modern, pedals... The Demeter TGA-2 is the only thing I need to meet my amplification needs.